


my girlfriend, hinata

by akashikisaragi



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Socially Awkward Kageyama, deeper than usual nishinoya, everyone is secretly sad, hinata pretends to be kageyama's girlfriend, rewriting, student council wars
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-13
Updated: 2016-04-16
Packaged: 2018-02-08 16:52:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1948881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akashikisaragi/pseuds/akashikisaragi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kageyama must find a wife in the next three months to secure the family fortune. He's in a race against his asshole cousin to find the perfect bride, but since transferring to Karasuno, the only person chasing after him is the student council's insane treasurer, Hinata. </p><p>And Hinata kind of looks really good in a dress.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. one of these nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let’s meet again, one of these nights
> 
> Oh, I can’t forget easily  
> Even if I turn the calendar, I’m still in the same place
> 
> \- Red Velvet, "One Of These Nights"

Kageyama wrinkled his nose, sighing as the couple seated opposite him on the train kissed yet again. The man's mouth was wide open, moaning noises emanating from his throat as he shifted awkwardly in his seat. The woman was smiling widely, her pink lipstick smudged on the man's cheek like she was trying to paint Picasso with her freaking mouth. The man was grabbing the front of his trousers, adjusting the position of his probably raging hard on. Kageyama looked away quickly as the woman made a growling noise, batting weakly at the man's chest like a cat.

Why were some people so fucking weird?

Kissing looked gross, if you kissed people you were dumb, and mouths weren't that cool. Kageyama would never kiss anyone, ever.

He didn't think that it was weird, being seventeen years of age and still in possession of his first kiss. But what could he do? Girls just didn't seem to like Kageyama Tobio, and he didn't like them that much either. They drew useless black lines above their eyes to accentuate them even though it made minimal difference - they straightened their hair for it to appear glossy, but who cared about that? It was just hair. 

There was a loud crackling as the conductor's voice blared through the train carriage, separating the horribly ruffled couple.

  
" _Next stop - Karasuno Academy. Thank you for travelling with us_."

  
Kageyama stood up as the train pulled up to the platform, straightening his school blazer with a sigh. He was the only person in the carriage to get off, and he supposed it was due to the fact that he had arrived an hour prior to his first lesson. The school rush wouldn't be for a while now, and that was what Kageyama wanted. Before he started his actual classes, he wanted to meet the principle and take a look around. With any luck, he might find a secluded corner in his new school to pass the time in with a good book.

He didn't really want to make any new friends.

Kageyama thought about his closest friend Kenma, back at his old school, Nekoma. Nekoma was on the outskirts of Tokyo, miles away from Karasuno, and Kenma would eventually forget him. His friendship with Kenma was slightly odd; they were friends, but it was never explicitly stated, and they did not communicate outside of school. But Kageyama had liked sitting next to Kenma in the library, silently reading and passing snacks back and forth. When Kageyama made his leaving announcement after a year of silent friendship, Kenma patted his back in farewell.

 _Kenma, give me strength_ , he prayed as he hopped off of the train and onto the platform. _Am I going to like Karasuno?_

  
Karasuno was a prestigious school, ranked first on the exam score league tables. It was the school for the smartest of the smart, and the most ambitious of the ambitious. Every student who went there had something special to contribute to the school, and thousands were turned down at the application process. Kageyama only got through on his parents' statuses and bank accounts. His mother, Naoko Kageyama, was a model, but had since become a socialite and the head of a society for women. She also owned a florist business on the side, and made floral arrangements and wreaths for celebrity weddings and magazine photoshoots. She was beautiful and looked very much like Kageyama, with dark blue eyes and black silky hair. His father, Soichiro Kageyama, owned the most successful hospital branches in Tokyo, and he was also a brilliant surgeon. He was in charge of the health checks and physical exams at Karasuno, which helped greatly in getting Kageyama into Karasuno, even with his abysmal grades. Soichiro wanted Kageyama to have a good life, and there really only was one way to do that.

Soichiro Kageyama had put away millions in safekeeping, ready to give to the first male in the family to get married. This meant that they could then carry on the family business and live a comfortable life, wanting for little. Kageyama had to get married first, secure that fortune, and beat out his fucking awful cousin in the race for the cash. It wasn't impossible.

All he had to do was find a nice girl to marry within the next three months.

As soon as he exited the station, Kageyama was greeted with the sight of the huge, hulking building of Karasuno Academy. The building was much bigger than Nekoma's, but it also lacked the homely feel that Nekoma had. Karasuno was all marble and shining glass, but Kageyama loved the worn brick and smell of grass that surrounded Nekoma. Even though Nekoma was further out, there was only a gym, sports field and a medium-sized school building. Somehow, in the middle of the city Karasuno had space for two sports fields, two gyms and a grand school building.  
  


_I really hate it here already._

  
"Are you okay there?" A soft, gentle voice asked.

  
Kageyama spun around to see two boys standing behind him. They were both of average height. The first had startlingly pale skin and hair. His eyes were a pleasant brown and his smile was friendly and sincere. A pale blue scarf was wrapped around his neck loosely and a pink blush dusted his cheeks. The second boy had tanned skin and dark hair. His eyes were a darker brown, and his smile was confident and dazzling. They both wore the boys' uniform, like Kageyama - a black jacket, white shirt, black slim-fit pants, and black shoes.

Kageyama nodded a little, trying to avoid eye contact. "I'm...I'm fine, yeah. Thanks for asking."

  
The first boy just laughed, smiling brightly. "Come on now, it's okay, you can let your guard down! Don't be shy. Daichi's a big softie, really."

  
"Can it, Koushi. Not everyone is as relaxed and gentle as you." The second boy grinned, then turned to Kageyama. "I'm Daichi Sawamura, the student council president. Nice to meet you."

  
"Ah...you too." Kageyama replied, fidgeting with his bag strap.

  
The first boy just smiled again. His smile was nice and welcoming, and Kageyama found himself liking feeling more relaxed as the boy introduced himself. "I'm Koushi Sugawara, the student council vice-president. What's your name?"

  
"Tobio Kageyama, but I prefer to be called Kageyama. I just transferred here from Nekoma. I'm a second-year."

  
"I know Nekoma!" Daichi exclaimed. "You're seriously from there? Their student council always manages to beat ours in the teamwork competition. In the student council, every year we have teamwork competitions to test the bond of our team. I mean, Nekoma won last year, and the year before, but..." Daichi trailed off, then smirked. "We'll get them this year, right Koushi?"

  
Koushi nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! We're only getting stronger, and this year our student council lineup will kick ass."

  
"Yeah, but only if Tanaka gets his head out of his ass."

  
Kageyama planned on running away, but he didn't know where to run _to_. Looking back at the arguing comedy duo, Kageyama quietly cleared his throat. "Daichi, Koushi. I need to visit the principal to talk about my transfer, but I don't know where his office is. Do you mind taking me there?"

  
Koushi just grabbed one of Kageyama's arms, squeezing tight. "Of course not, our new friend Kageyama. We don't mind, as long as you join the student council."

  
" _W-w-w-what_?" Kageyama spluttered.

  
"Oh, come on, Kageyama." Daichi grinned, grabbing Kageyama's other arm happily. "You didn't think that us kind third-years were going to take you somewhere for nothing, did you? Time is money. We need to get Nekoma back and you've just transferred from Nekoma. Destiny, right Koushi?"

  
"Indeed." Koushi agreed, nodding his head so fast that his floppy fringe bounced.

  
"So, in return for our priceless help, tsundere transfer student, you'll join the student council. It's settled." And with that, Daichi and Koushi dragged Kageyama along, oblivious to his protests.

"I hate people!"

"But the guys on the council are so nice!"

"I'm not talking about them! I'm talking about _you_!"

Koushi just leaned in and whispered into Kageyama's ear. "That's nice, you little bitch. Keep your cheap ass opinions to yourself, because I'm angelic."

Kageyama's eyes widened and he began to scream. "Fucking yandere! Help!"

Daichi just squeezed Kageyama hard, grinning. "You'll love the student council! No complaining!"

"I wouldn't know, would I, seeing as I was just conned into joining."

"Trust us."

They walked through a large building with sandstone archways, and Kageyama was enthralled. It was empty and slightly cold, and made Kageyama miss Nekoma even more, but he supposed it was pretty. Beanbags and tables were scattered around the main hall as the trio turned into a hallway. Daichi knocked on an impeccably painted wooden door and heard a bright, cheerful voice chirp "Come on in!"

As soon as Kageyama entered, his breath caught in his throat. Sitting at the desk was a boy wearing the same uniform as his own, but he was so small that the shirt sort of dwarfed him. His hair was orange, bouncy curls, and his smile was all happiness. The jacket was slightly tighter so it held his shirt down to a comfortable size, but the only word that Kageyama could find to describe this boy was... _cute_.

  
Koushi smiled as soon as he saw the boy. "Shouyou! There you are! Where's your uncle?"

  
The boy - Shouyou - shrugged. "Uncle Takeda said that he had to go to a meeting a little over an hour ago, so he might be back soon. He said that I could wait here, so..." He spread his arms wide, grinning cutely. "I'm here, I guess!"

Daichi went over to Shouyou and ruffled his hair, making him squeak. Kageyama winced. The sound was annoying and grating, like a small mouse. Daichi held Shouyou close as he laughed, making Koushi laugh too.

  
"Dad!" Shouyou protested. "My hair! It _hurts_!"

  
"But Shouyou, you are just too adorable!" Koushi proclaimed, hurrying round to the other side of the desk and pinching Hinata's cheeks. "Say 'Mommy'! Say it!"

  
" _Mommy_ ," Shouyou whined.

  
"We love you!" Koushi and Daichi cheered. Koushi hugged Hinata tightly, and Daichi enveloped them both in his arms. Kageyama looked away. The scene looked sort of private.

  
"Hey, you! What's your name?" A voice, curious and not at all awkward like his own.

  
Kageyama recognised it as Shouyou's voice, so he turned back to the trio and answered, "Tobio Kageyama. I go by Kageyama. It's a pleasure to meet you."

  
"Oh!" Shouyou blushed. "Your name, it's really really really cool, Kageyama! What year are you in? I'm a second year."

  
"I'm also in second."

  
"Ah! That's so great! You're a transfer student, right? From where?" Shouyou pressed.

  
"Nekoma." Kageyama sighed.

  
Shouyou's eyes lit up and his smile was so wide that it practically spanned the length of his face. "Nekoma! Your old school is so cool, Kageyama! Oh, you can call me Hinata, if we're going to do the last-name-BFF thing."

  
"We aren't friends." Kageyama stated coldly.

  
Hinata pouted. "Kageyama, you say that, but we will always be together. I can feel it."

  
"Sure you will," Daichi agreed, pinching one of Hinata's cheeks. "Kageyama here is joining the student council."

  
Hinata's eyes sparkled. "Really? That's so great, Kageyama! I'm on the council, too. I happen to be the treasurer, even though I failed math last year."

  
Koushi frowned at him, displeased. "The first and last time you fail anything, Shou. If you fail again, Daichi will go home and melt your cola popsicles."

  
"No, Dad! Please don't!" Hinata howled. "I won't fail this year!"

  
"Good." Daichi smiled, and then fixed Hinata with a sadistic grin. "Because I would hate to melt those delicious popsicles. Or maybe your mom and I could eat them for you."

  
Hinata grabbed Koushi's shirt and mushed his face into it, muttering sullenly under his breath. Koushi sighed and ran his fingers through his hair as Daichi took a look at Hinata's homework sheets strewn across the desk.

  
"Shou, answers one through twenty-three are wrong."

  
"No they aren't!"

"Yes, they are-"

"Oh, Sugawara, Sawamura, nice to see you here! And you must be Kageyama, correct?"

A mild, timid voice sounded from the direction of the door. Kageyama spun around and saw a short man clutching a stack of papers. His dark hair was fluffy and curly, and a pair of glasses with black frames rested on the bridge of his nose. His eyes were brown and shiny with enthusiasm, just like Hinata's, so Kageyama could see the relation. The man smiled at Kageyama and adjusted his glasses.

  
"Hello, Kageyama. I'm Principal Takeda. I'm sure you've met my enthusiastic nephew Shouyou, and the wonderful DaiSuga couple?"

Kageyama nodded slowly, trying to ignore the genuine smile on Hinata's face. It was terrifying.

  
"Ah, Kageyama. You're in 2-3. You'll be in Shouyou's class, and your schedules are the same.  I know that transferring schools is hard, and it's even harder to make new friends, seeing as everyone else has been here for a year now already. Rest assured, here at Karasuno we're all friendly and approachable, and there is an impressive array of clubs to join. It'll be easy for you to make friends this way. Oh, I know!" He snapped his fingers. "Join the student council! Daichi, Koushi and Shouyou are on the board, and it's a very good selection of students if I do say so myself. Just follow Shouyou around, okay?"

Kageyama grunted.

Hinata smiled.

Daichi hid a laugh behind a cough. "If the poor guy followed Shou around, he'd be dead."

"Daichi!" Koushi hit the other boy's shoulder. "Be supportive of our baby."

Kageyama couldn't keep up with their cosy family antics. Hinata was obviously their child, Kageyama thought, as he saw Koushi hug him tightly. Koushi was definitely the mother. Daichi had a hand resting securely on Koushi's waist, and Kageyama immediately allocated him the spot of the father.

"Daichi, Koushi," Kageyama spoke up. "Are you both related to Hinata?"

Principal Takeda sighed. "No, but they wish they were. Those two have been together since the beginning of time, and I suppose they've practically raised Shouyou."

"But that's a story for another time," Daichi said firmly.

"Right. Pardon me. Ah -" Principal Takeda fluttered around some papers. "Here is your timetable, Kageyama." Kageyama was handed a sheet. "Like I said, follow Shouyou around." He fixed Kageyama with a sheepish grin and shook his hand before beckoning them all out of the room. Koushi and Daichi, with their hands linked, told Hinata to meet them in the council room later before kissing him and hugging him close. Hinata agreed and grabbed Kageyama's hand the second they left, pulling him across the campus.

"Oi! Hinata, you dumbass, don't touch me!" Kageyama ripped his hand out of Hinata's hurriedly.

Hinata blinked innocently at him. "Kageyama, aren't you big on physical contact?"

Kageyama scowled. "No. No, I'm not, asswipe."

Hinata shrugged. "Okay. Sorry. Why did you transfer?"

"Can't I catch a fucking break?" Kageyama complained. "Shut up."

"Fine, I will, but after you answer my question."

"Sure. Then go die afterwards."

"It's worth it." The two passed through the entryway of the main building. There were chairs conveniently strewn around the place with reading lamps on tables. A coffee machine with polystyrene cups was on the east wall, and five or six bookshelves stood at random points in the room. A student with a shaved head sat on a stool at a high table, and he waved at Hinata and Kageyama as they sat down a few seats away before pulling on the pair of headphones around his neck.

"That's Tanaka," was Hinata's cheerful explanation, before he slapped his hands onto Kageyama's shoulders. "He's on the student council, too. Anyway, you aren't off the hook, Kageyama! Why did you move?"

Kageyama scowled. "My father runs the health committee for Karasuno, so he thought it made sense to send me here. My parents thought it was a good idea too, because I need to find a wife, and there weren't many girls at Nekoma."

Hinata, who had pulled a juice box out of somewhere, was drinking it and promptly spat all over Kageyama.

"Y-you need a wife?" Hinata asked incredulously. "You're seventeen, you know?"

"I don't want one, but I need one," Kageyama sighed. "My dad has a lot of money that he can only pass down to the first family of my generation. It's only me and my asshole cousin, so those millions go to whoever can get married first."

"Is there some kind of a deadline? Your life is an actual novel, I swear."

"This December," Kageyama replied. "My eighteenth birthday. If I can find a girl before then, great. I just need a girl quick, but they never seem to like me much."

Hinata looked at Kageyama thoughtfully. "Why don't they like you? Is there something wrong with you?"

Kageyama shrugged. "I couldn't connect with those girls. I didn't like them. They were all pretty, but they held no favour with me. I was deemed unapproachable and nobody befriended me back in Nekoma. Girls didn't like me. They said I was 'cold', 'unapproachable', 'harsh' and 'not husband material'. But I think that they've just been reading too much shoujo manga. Men aren't like that in reality."

Hinata laughed uproariously. "You sure had it rough! I mean, you couldn't get a girl because you're too tsundere? Why don't you just, I don't know, get a fake girlfriend?"

"Because, stupid," Kageyama frowned, "This girl needs to be with me my entire life, helping to look after the fortune, house and business. I just need to select a nice, normal girl and bring her to them. Easy - then they'll start with the arrangements. I get a change of scenery and a whole new selection of girls because my father is getting fed up, and in return they stop presenting girls to me. That's why I'm here."

Hinata nodded. "You need to find a girl in this school, or outside the school, in three months."

"Basically." Kageyama yawned.

To Kageyama, it was simple. He would make a girl fall for him. He would take her to his parents, they would approve her, and then he could live his life in peace with a pretty wife, more money than he would ever need, and a job at one of his father's hospitals. He didn't need friends at Karasuno. Quite simply, all he needed was a girl. And with his stunning looks and impressive bank account, he would get one.

Kageyama didn't notice Hinata smiling manically in front of him until it was too late.

" _HINATA WHAT_!"

Hinata just cheered. "Kageyama, I'll get you a girlfriend!"

" _What_?"

Hinata crossed a hand over his heart. "I'll do it, Kageyama. I'll get the entire student council on this, too. We can get you a girlfriend within the month. After that, we can help you win her heart. It's on!"

Kageyama just scoffed. "You don't look as though you've ever had a girl look at you, and you have the nerve to offer your help?"

Hinata punched Kageyama in the gut, making him wheeze. He then smiled innocently and whispered, "I might have been single since my day of birth, but I know that girls find me adorable! They call me shota-kun, and nearly every girl has a thing for lolita boys! Don't you know how popular Nagisa Hazuki is?"

Kageyama made a choked noise in his throat. "Fine. Help me, you fucking gremlin. I don't care."

Hinata just pulled a hand through his hair, threw his head back and announced, "Alright then, it's settled! Operation: Kageyama Left Hand No More is a go!"

" _Why the fuck would  you call it that_?!"


	2. rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think of you when you were beautiful in the rain
> 
> \- Taeyeon, "Rain"

Kageyama's first day at Karasuno was full of introductions, curious glances, and flurries of questions. When people heard that he was from Nekoma, they were quick to ask if Kageyama had been in any clubs or teams since apparently he 'looked like the type of person that would play volleyball', and Nekoma's volleyball team was rather strong.

I mean, what was up with that? 

Kageyama now sat in History with Hinata. The lesson hadn't started yet, and so the female students were milling around, commenting on each others' hair and nails, and the boys were laughing boisterously and shoving each other. Kageyama was bored. Countless girls crowded around Hinata, screaming " _Shota-kun_!" For God's sake, he couldn't even see Hinata anymore, the guy was completely swarmed by women. Whenever he tried looking for the annoying boy's face, all he was met with was fluttering skirts and silky hair tied up with ribbons.

A leg draped itself over Kageyama's desk. A thigh-high sock covered most of the skin, but a small area of bare skin showed in the gap between the skirt and the sock. Kageyama stared at one stray hair on the skin until he heard a laugh.

"My, my, aren't you arrogant. You aren't even trying to make your looks discreet." A flirty, lilting tone called.

Kageyama's eyes flicked up a slender waist to a full chest. His venture ended at a wide smirk. The girl's hair was strawberry-blonde, and her hair was tied in a small side ponytail. Unlike the other girls' pretty hairbows, though, this girl wore a pink scrunchie. Her eyes were wide and brown, mascara carefully applied to extra-long lashes. She was adorable, with pink lips to match a watch on her slender wrist. Her appearance was overall neat and simple. Kageyama screamed internally.

_Yes. Pretty girl. Good. Activate tsundere complex immediately._

Kageyama flicked his gaze away, making his dark hair flop over an eye. He had often practised his Levi Ackerman-esque tsundere gaze in the mirror, and so he knew it was working. Of course, it had been awkward when his mother came in and saw him flirting with his reflection, but it was for a good cause.

 _God bless Levi,_ Kageyama thought as the girl bit her lip while looking at his tsundere display.

She laughed. "Aw, come on, tsundere-kun. Don't be so scared, I know you're interested." She leaned forward, and Kageyama saw her chest strain against the material of her shirt. "And...why _wouldn't_ you be, let's be honest."

Kageyama laughed shortly. "I can think of a few hundred reasons." 

The girl winked at him. "I'm Kururi Hasenda. You're Tobio, right?"

Kageyama fixed Kururi with a glare. "Wrong. I'm uninterested."

Kururi looked amused. "Oh, please. You can't possibly be uninterested. Every guy wants me. There isn't a single guy who doesn't look at me with that look in his eyes. When his pupils dilate, his jaw drops _ever_ so slightly..." Her fingers swiped along Kageyama's jaw, making their gazes meet. She nodded. "And you, you're no different."

Kageyama yawned. "Sorry. I think that you'll just have to admit that you were wrong this time, princess. You're not my type."

Kururi glared at him. "Liar. I'm everybody's type. Why don't I prove it to you, after school?"

"Prove what? Just how hard it is to get someone to like you?"

"Ha ha. Well, you do have a sense of humour. Aren't you lucky, Kageyama. Your first day in school, and I already want you."

"Try _unlucky_. Now buy a longer skirt, pluck that random hair and stay out of my sight."

A tall man carrying a pile of textbooks entered the room, and students ran to their seats hurriedly, pulling out pencils and notebooks. Kageyama sat through another introduction, bowing to the class at one point, and then the lesson began.

 

* * *

  
Kageyama and Hinata went to the school cafeteria for lunch. Students were allowed to leave the campus for lunch, which Hinata usually did, but since it was Kageyama's first day, he insisted that they eat at the cafeteria to try out the selection.

The cafeteria was clean, large and nicely designed - three of the walls were glass, and the food selection area took up one wall. Hinata grabbed a plate of spaghetti and a tall glass of cola. Kageyama got a bowl of pasta with pesto and pine nuts, as well as a juice box. The two sat down at a large table, next to the guy that Hinata waved at earlier.

"Tanaka!" Hinata cheered. "Looking forward to the meeting today?"

Tanaka nodded. "Of course. So, this is the new guy who needs a girl! Your text killed me, Hinata." 

Hinata whacked Kageyama's back proudly. "Yeah, this is Kageyama! Kageyama, this is Tanaka. He's also on the student council as a representative."

"Nothing too flashy," Tanaka grinned. He reached out a hand and Kageyama shook it hesitantly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Kageyama said.

Tanaka nodded, teeth ripping a slice of pizza. "Likewise. Daichi mentioned that you transferred over from Nekoma."

Kageyama nodded. "I did."

Tanaka grinned. "Nekoma is awesome, but we're better. Were you on the student council back there?"

"I wasn't in any clubs."

Hinata shook his head in disapproval. "Extracurricular activities are life."

Kageyama just stabbed his pasta viciously with a fork.

"Whoa, new guy, is something bothering you?" With a sound somewhere between a shout and a laugh, somebody catapulted themselves into the seat next to Hinata. After straightening up with a triumphant smirk, Kageyama could get a good look at the person's face. He had dark hair with a platinum blond-dyed flick, and he looked pretty small, even next to Hinata.

"Nothing's bothering me." Kageyama poked a pine nut savagely with the tines of his fork.

"Oh wow Shouyou, you were right...this guy really is a tsundere." The guy leaned across the table, poking Kageyama's cheek with a tentative finger. "I don't know, I think tsunderes are kind of cool. I'm Yuu Nishinoya. You can call me Nishinoya. I'm a second year, too."

  
"Nishinoya is also in our Chemistry, English and Home Economics classes," Hinata added. "He's really loud and he always ends up being shouted at. Personally, though, I think that he thrives on the shame of being caught by the staff."

"Such a naughty boy, Noya," Tanaka sighed, reaching for his bottle of water. "Where's your lunch at?"

Nishinoya shrugged carelessly. "Whatever Daichi and Koushi buy."

"Where are Mommy and Daddy?" Hinata twisted a forkful of spaghetti into his mouth. "They aren't usually this late."

Nishinoya looked around the cafeteria, craning his neck. "Yeah, I know...I can't see them, so maybe...oh, wait! Daichi, Koushi!"

Kageyama, Hinata, Tanaka and Nishinoya shifted their attention to Koushi and Daichi, who were walking towards them. Both held trays in their hands, but Daichi held his bag as well as Koushi's.

"Ah, so cute," Nishinoya sighed, as Daichi brushed his nose against Koushi's ear. "Shouyou, your mom and dad are so cute."

"He is the way he is all because he was raised in a loving environment," Tanaka explained.

Hinata blushed a little and Kageyama felt something weird stirring in his head. The word 'cute' could not be associated with someone like Hinata Shouyou.

Koushi and Daichi joined them. Kageyama was sitting next to Tanaka and opposite Hinata. Nishinoya was seated next to Hinata, and Koushi sat on his other side. Daichi sat on the same side as Tanaka and Kageyama, offering friendly nods at them both.

"Where's Asahi?" Nishinoya asked, stealing a fry from Daichi's tray.

"I don't know, he left History pretty early. I suppose he'll join us soon. And just ask me if you want a fry, scoundrel." Daichi reprimanded him.

"You're so stingy."

"And you have no manners."

"No, I have no _fucks_ left to give, there's a difference."

Koushi's hand hit Nishinoya upside the head. "Language at the table," he chastised. "Don't use bad words like that in front of Shouyou, he might be corrupted!"

"S-sorry, Koushi." Nishinoya mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm sorry."

"I know." Daichi placed a bowl of noodle soup in front of Koushi on the table, and handed him a pair of chopsticks. Koushi began to eat, slurping up noodles. When trails of the soup ran out of one side of his mouth, he looked around for a tissue, embarrassed, but Daichi simply leaned over and wiped it off with a finger. The two held eye contact as Daichi licked it off.

"Koushi, Daichi, stop flirting in front of your child. I think Noya swearing is better than that," Tanaka sighed. "Shouyou, look away. Or talk to Kageyama."

"Yes, Tanaka," Hinata replied obediently, turning to Kageyama. "Kageyama, I texted everyone on the student council about your current predicament. We're all excited to help you!"

"Yeah!" Nishinoya exclaimed. "I can't wait to help you get laid, Kageyama! It'll be great, we'll find you a girl as soon as we can!"

"Treat her kindly!" Tanaka howled, tears welling in his eyes. "Love her deeply."

Kageyama prodded a forkful of pasta into his mouth before muttering, "I'm meeting a girl after school today. Kururi Hasenda."

The table fell silent, and then erupted in screams.

"Kururi Hasenda?" Tanaka yelled. "Hasenda? As in the most popular girl ever?"

"Hasenda won the Beauty of Tokyo pageant earlier this year, if I remember correctly," Koushi said thoughtfully. "She is really pretty."

"But you're beautiful, Koushi," Daichi said boldly.

"Daichi..." Koushi blushed feverishly.

"What the hell do you guys want, a Perfect Parent medal?" Tanaka deadpanned. "Seriously. You cook Hinata meals, tuck him up in bed, take him for ice cream, help him with his homework, cuddle him on movie night..." He shook his head, confused. "You guys are already the best parents ever. Relax."

Daichi sighed. "Tanaka, just look at Kageyama's face. You've confused the hell out of him. Kageyama, Koushi and I have been dating since we were fourteen, okay?"

"But _we_ already knew that." Nishinoya yawned, gesturing at everyone but Kageyama. "You're not giving us any saucy information."

"Yeah, like what position do you guys prefer?" Tanaka raised his eyebrows.

Daichi's eyes glinted. "Well, Koushi is pretty flexible, so-"

" _Mommy_!" Hinata exploded. "Dad! _Don't say anything else_!" His cheeks flushed red, clashing with his hair.

Kageyama had stopped eating long ago. His fork was halfway to his mouth, loaded with pasta.

"Kageyama's gone into a state of shock."

"We're too wild for him."

"D-Daichi, check his pulse."

"Koushi, I'm sure he's fine...Kageyama, can you hear me?"

Kageyama's heartbeat frantically sped up until it was thumping out the most twisting of melodies, with bruising force against his ribcage. Hinata's cool, slender fingers were pressed against his neck near his collarbone, while the fingers of his other hand were twisted in his hair for support.

"He has a pulse..." Hinata observed, looking deep into Kageyama's eyes. "He's okay."

Kageyama didn't know what the word 'okay' meant anymore. One thing that he knew for sure, though, was that the crazy student council of Karasuno Academy had no idea what it meant.


	3. carnival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When it’s boring  
> I’ll pick you up  
> If you spend a day together with me  
> You can't say you didn't have fun
> 
> \- B.A.P, "Carnival"

The student council room was large, spacious and airy. There were four large windows at the front that looked down at the school courtyard and entrance gate, two of which were wide open. A large conference table stood in the middle, and Kageyama noted that it looked like tables that gangsters would confer around in the movies. A floral arrangement rested on the tabletop, purple, pink and blue flowers mixed with wisps of baby's breath. Nishinoya, Tanaka, Koushi and Daichi sat at the table along with a dark-haired girl and a guy who looked like he should be teaching at Karasuno instead of learning there.

Hinata, bright like the sun, stood at the front of the room with a huge whiteboard that read "Operation: Kageyama Left Hand No More".

"Okay! Guys!" Hinata called out. "Kageyama has his meeting with Kururi Hasenda in ten minutes, so we need to brief him on the wonderful world of flirting before his time comes!" He looked towards Koushi and Daichi. "Mom, Dad, what will you teach Kageyama?"

Koushi snapped his fingers and grinned. "Kageyama, when you get there, look her in the eyes the entire time. Girls love intense eye contact. What's more, with your tsundere complex, you'll definitely be able to pull it off!"

"Act like you have somewhere else to be. Make ' _tch_ ' noises a lot." Daichi nodded decisively.

"Ah, but," Koushi piped up, "Different girls respond differently. I know that Hasenda must like your approach to offer to meet you again, though. Just keep on doing what you do!"

  
Hinata sighed and inhaled deeply. "Good work, Mommy. Okay, Tanaka?"

  
Tanaka stood up, pushing his chair back with a crash, and began laughing manically. Koushi and Daichi just stared blankly, but Kageyama was torn between running for the door and throwing the table centerpiece at Tanaka.

  
"Why, it's easy, young innocent lambs," he barked. "First of all, girls love abstract expressions. Such as..." Tanaka clicked his fingers at Nishinoya, who immediately jumped up and recited, " _The sun...it weeps for the fragility of love and friendship_."

  
Koushi began to clap in awe, his mouth wide open. "Whoa...Nishinoya," he gasped. "That was great!"

  
"Another, another!" Hinata cheered.

  
Nishinoya ran a hand through his hair, smirked, and simpered, " _The earth...it' is unforgiving. I can feel it, ah yes, I can...its cold fingers, threatening to take you away from me. But I won't have it. I need you by my side_."

  
The room was full of applause, while Nishinoya bowed and saluted. Kageyama didn't understand anything. He thought that these people were insane. They were a wild, dysfunctional family that wanted Kageyama in their clutches, and the sad part was that Kageyama didn't think he minded being dragged into this.

  
"Asahi!" Hinata called out. "Your proposal is up next."

  
The guy who looked about twenty-five stood up, cleared his throat and looked at Kageyama. "I'm Azumane Asahi, the student council events organiser." he introduced himself. "I go by Asahi. Nice to meet you, Kageyama. I'll also be helping you."

  
Kageyama nodded. "Thank you, Asahi."

  
"Okay, my proposal is that you hold her hand carefully. Don't squeeze too tight, that might be perceived as clingy. Let your hold be loose and light, but not so loose that she thinks you'd let her go easily."

  
"Oooooh!" Nishinoya hollered. "Asahi, you go man! That's our gentle giant!"

  
Asahi blushed awkwardly. "But above all, K-Kageyama," he spluttered, "Treat a girl nicely. That's what you have to do."

  
Everyone nodded, and mutters of " _mm-hmm_ " and " _damn straight_ " ricocheted in Kageyama's eardrums.

  
"Kiyoko!" Hinata announced. "Your proposal?"

  
The girl that had been seated next to Asahi stood up, and Kageyama felt his eyebrows raise with interest. Her hair was shoulder-length and raven black, with a glossy sheen. She wore black-framed glasses that enlarged her dark eyes. Thick eyelashes surrounded pretty dark eyes, and her school uniform clinged to her body in all the right places.

  
"My proposal...uh..." Kiyoko looked flustered, and Kageyama was drawn in. Who knows, maybe he liked that kind of girl. All cute and not sexy like Kururi Hasenda. "I thought that, maybe, if it came to a kiss, Kageyama should show that he isn't th-that type of guy. He could press a finger to her lips and say something like ' _We just met. When we do finally kiss, I want it to be because I know everything there is to know about you_.'"

  
Tears streamed down Tanaka's and Nishinoya's cheeks. "Kiyoko!" They screamed. "Kiyoko, that was beautiful! Won't you say things like that to me?" Nishinoya was howling, his face in Tanaka's shirt while the other boy patted his back. Asahi held up a packet of tissues, and his facial expression was the epitome of helplessness.

  
Hinata, who was still standing in front of the whiteboard, sniffed as he continued to jot down their ideas. He seemed moved to tears. "Beautiful, just beautiful, all of you," he declared. "Kageyama, you will ace this meeting with Kururi Hasenda, but before you do..." He held up a hairbrush, chapstick, a bottle of cologne, moisturizer, a toothpick and a packet of facial wipes. "Refresh."

  
Asahi was in charge. He grabbed the items off of Hinata and set to work. He undid two buttons on Kageyama's school shirt and pulled the collar of his shirt down to expose his collarbone. Clipping Kageyama's fringe back with a barrette, he tipped his chin upwards and brought the toothpick through the gaps in Kageyama's teeth.

  
"Is that pesto?" Hinata queried on seeing a bit of basil on the toothpick. Kageyama wanted to smack him as Asahi pushed his jaw upwards again, wiped Kageyama's face carefully and then applied chapstick to his lips.

  
"Did you have to pick cherry?" Kageyama mumbled. "They'll go red, like a girl's!"

  
"Shut it, you." Hinata commanded. "It looks good. Kissable, right Asahi?"

  
Asahi grunted and continued his work on Kageyama. He took the bottle of cologne and tipped some onto his hands, running his fingers along Kageyama's neck. Kageyama was growing more and more uncomfortable by the second. Koushi and Daichi were sitting back, whispering into each others' ears and laughing quietly. Kiyoko was busy ignoring Nishinoya and Tanaka's advances. How weird was this school council?

  
Asahi looked at his hands carefully. "Shouyou, can you moisturize his face? Your fingers look like they can massage pretty well."

  
"Don't mind if I do." Hinata sat on Asahi's vacated chair in front of Kageyama and squirted some moisturizer into his palm. Placing his hands gently onto Kageyama's cheeks, he rubbed the moisturizer into his skin. Kageyama didn't know why he liked the feeling of Hinata's small, slender fingers running over his face, but he did. Hinata's fingers trailed down his chin and down to his clavicle, gifted, slow and practised.

  
"All done." Hinata laughed. "Asahi, give me the hairbrush."

  
The barrette was pulled from Kageyama's hair and his fringe flopped over his eyes. Hinata brushed through his hair quickly and fluffed it up in the back, smiling as he did so. "Perfect. Now, go out there and meet your future bride."

 

* * *

 

Kururi was standing by the cherry blossom tree, near the courtyard's east gate. The students had long since gone home, so her meeting with Kageyama would go uninterrupted. She had applied more makeup since Kageyama last saw her- her eyelids were now coated in sparkly eyeshadow, while pink lipstick covered her mouth, giving her a gentle pout. Delicate pink cherry blossom petals swirled around her feet, the hem of her skirt flying in the breeze.

  
Kageyama walked up towards her and called out, "Hasenda."

  
Hasenda turned towards Kageyama with a smile. "Kageyama." 

Kururi's eyes widened as she looked at Kageyama, eager to observe his makeup for tips. Did he really look that good?

  
Well, Kageyama supposed that he did. Hinata had brushed his hair into a hairstyle that was commonly seen on idol boys on television. His chapsticked lips were soft-looking and a plump red. Youthful, supple skin with a radiant glow. And his smile was perfect and gleaming, overall giving him a look worthy of becoming the next Ichinose Tokiya or something. Not, uh, that he watched weird otome shows anyway.

  
"Hey." Kageyama looked to the cherry blossom tree, inhaling the scent of the cherry blossoms. "You look nice."

  
"Thank you, baby. That's so nice of you to say." Kururi's blush was disarming and pretty, making her look shoujo-manga worthy. Kageyama nodded. Perfect. Now was the time to follow Koushi and Daichi's advice. With one flick of his head, he made their eyes connect.

  
And he stayed unblinking, his eyes drilling into Kururi's.

  
"Ah, Tobio?"

  
 _Stare. Stare. Stare at her until she knows she's the only thing to exist in your eyes_.

  
"T-Tobio?"

  
_Are you charmed yet, Hasenda? Is this working?_

  
"Tobio, you're honestly starting to freak me out."

  
Kageyama broke eye contact and laughed, placing his hands in his jacket pockets and tilting his chin upwards. Time to turn towards Nishinoya and Tanaka.

  
"Tch. Of course you wouldn't understand. The world is like an ocean. Swirling secrets, bottomless despair. The ultimate despair. _To me, despair isn't goal, or a cause, or a way of life, or an instinct... It's what defines me_."

  
Kururi's jaw dropped. "Are you just quoting _Dangan Ronpa_ now? Enoshima Junko?"

  
Kageyama could feel sweat beading on his temples. Shit. Just what he needed. A girl who saw through his meaningful, abstract expressions.

  
He recovered quickly. "Of course not," he scoffed. "She was probably quoting me. Uh, anyway, _there is no such thing as useless effort_."

  
"That's from _Kuroko no Basket_."

  
Fuck.

  
Asahi's advice!

  
Kageyama lunged for Kururi's hand. Kururi screamed, but stopped abruptly as soon as she saw Kageyama, tensely trying to hold her hand with just the right amount of pressure.

  
"Tobio, what are you doing?"

  
"Is this too tight?" Kageyama squeezed her hand, and Kururi felt her bones crack a little. He loosened his hold, but her fingers slipped through his. " _Ah_ , I'm sorry. I haven't-"  
Kageyama felt useless. He might have his looks going for him, but he had nothing to help him along with dating. He didn't know what to do, and so far the student council's help had been all for nought. Kururi probably thought he was weird.

  
"Tobio, you're sort of adorable."

  
"What?"

  
Kururi flipped her hair back over her shoulder. "I mean, just, you're sort of cute and flustered and it's really charming, actually. I feel sort of comfortable around you."

  
"Really, Hasenda?" _Score. Score. Go, me!_

  
"Yeah. In fact, now I think I'm ready to confess something to you!" She laughed, and her laugh was sweet, just like the scent of the cherry blossom tree behind them both. "Tobio, I'm not what you think I am."

  
"Hasenda. What do you mean?"

  
Kururi looked down at her feet, and when she looked up again, her eyes were bright and filled with tears. Her mascara ran trails down her cheeks as she laughed.

  
"I'm not really a cool, flirtatious girl, Kageyama. My image is all _wrong_!" She sobbed.

  
"How so?" Kageyama slowly began stepping backwards.

  
Kururi just grinned widely, dropping Kageyama's hands and attempting to wipe the mascara off of her cheeks. She then placed her hands onto Kageyama's shoulders, while his arms hung by his sides. Kururi's chest pressed against his as she whispered into his ear, " _I like insects_."

  
Kageyama's eyes widened. "Hasenda what the _fuck_ -"

  
"I love insects!" She screamed, throwing her head back. "They're so _beautiful_! I have so many little insects, kept behind glass to preserve their magnificent bodies, perfect specimens imported from all over the world! On average I get six new bugs for every special occasion, and if I'm a good girl then my mother lets me dry them out _by myself_! Grasshoppers, locusts, even common bluebottles! _Bugs!_ I've collected books on bugs and specimens ever since I was a little girl! I have a rare Siberian butterfly and a rare specimen from England, and I thought that they looked sort of perfect together, so I had a bug marriage ceremony! I even made little dresses and suits. It was the wedding of the year. I still have pictures if you want to see, _they even kissed at the end_!"

"Hasenda, are you joking?" Kageyama was seriously considering learning to climb a tree in the next two seconds.

Kururi snorted and then wiped her face off on the back of her hand. "No, no, I'm not joking. Of course I'm not joking about bugs. I would never. I could never joke about _bugs_! I also like reading and libraries and hot chocolate and documentaries and writing fanfiction for my favourite homosexual pairings in anime and manga, too-"

  
"H-Hasenda." Kageyama interrupted.

  
"Yeah?" Hasenda offered Kageyama a bittersweet smile.

  
"Is that all? Sounds pretty normal." Kageyama knew that it really _wasn't_ , but he was trying to restrain himself from running away as quick as he possibly could.

  
Hasenda looked conflicted. "Well, no."

  
Kageyama nodded. "What else, then?"

  
"I kiss all of my specimens goodnight before I go to sleep, mouth open and everything. Lots of saliva. There are exactly one-thousand, two-hundred and twenty-nine of them-"

_Shit, she makes out with bugs?! BYE._

Kageyama ran back towards the club room, screaming.

 


	4. cupid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You’re like the person I saw in my dream  
> Is this the love that I’ve only head about?  
> My heart has been stolen
> 
> \- Oh My Girl, "Cupid"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much, everyone who is reading this! i am so happy with the comments and everything i just. wow. thank you so much.
> 
> warning, though - this chapter is the product of no sleep. i am so sorry if it's not as good as the previous chapters. right now, i can't write smut for my life so i just put in a little makeout scene thing. i hope that makes up for it, but later in the story i will kick my own ass and write some damn smut. 
> 
> you find out a little about sawamura here. not that much, but just enough for you to have a few guesses as to why koushi and daichi look after hinata.

 A week and a half had passed since the Hasenda Incident, and no progress had been made in terms of Kageyama's love life. He had, however, made two more acquaintances - Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, two members of the student council who had been absent from Kageyama's first meeting. They shared Chemistry and Home Economics with Kageyama and Hinata, and stayed quiet a lot.

Tsukishima was tall, emotionless and fashionable. He always wore the latest clothes, had high-tech gadgets, and could pick out the best colour schemes in seconds. His parents owned a software company, leading to his love of all things electrical. Yamaguchi's mother owned a successful chain of department stores, resulting in her son having a collection of over three hundred bottles of cologne. 

Kageyama also learned that Daichi's family owned a chain of dojos, gyms and fitness centres, and a Sawamura Group fitness club was on every street corner. Sawamura himself had an extremely fit body, surely a side effect of being a Sawamura. Koushi's family were chocolatiers, the owners of the most popular chocolate brand in Japan. Asahi's father was the CEO for a company that made extremely expensive watches, while his mother did exactly the same kind of thing as Kageyama's - modelling and attending meetings. Tanaka's parents were classical musicians, as well as artists and actors. They played the violin and cello, painted beautiful landscapes, and acted in box office hits. Kiyoko was a model, as were her mother, father, sister and brother. That entire family really was beautiful.

Nishinoya and Hinata did not come from money. Nishinoya and Hinata both had full scholarships to Karasuno, Nishinoya through sports and academics, and Hinata through the fact that his uncle was the principal.

They had, undeniably, gotten closer since Kageyama's first day at school.

The student council of Karasuno Academy minus Hinata sat around the large conference table, each wearing varying expressions of despair on their faces. In the middle of the table were bags of potato chips, glasses of cola, bowls of pretzels and bars of chocolate.The only ones actually eating anything were Nishinoya and Tanaka, who naturally couldn't read the atmosphere and continued chewing loudly despite the sombre mood in this room.

"Come on, guys," Nishinoya grinned while shoving five more salted chips into his mouth. "You guys eat some stuff, too. Tanaka got it. It's all good."

Tanaka nodded innocently, throwing a chip into the air and catching it in his mouth.

Daichi just sighed. "Nishinoya, we're not hungry. Where is Shouyou? He was due here an hour ago."

Koushi fidgeted anxiously next to Daichi, tapping his right foot to an irregular beat. He bit his lip, bruising the pink skin. Daichi's hand held his, their sweaty palms clasped together, fingers intertwined. Koushi just looked at Daichi, his eyes wide and worried, and whispered, "D-Daichi, do you think he's okay? Is he hurt? Should we go look for Shou?"

Daichi exhaled deeply and pulled his wife/boyfriend closer, wrapping an arm around his waist while the other tangled in his soft hair. Koushi's arms around Daichi's neck pressed almost suffocatingly, while his mouth lay somewhere on Daichi's jawline.

"He's fine, I'm sure, Koushi. Calm down." Daichi reassured him. "He's seventeen. Don't go worrying so much about him. He's not five anymore."

"But that's _why_ I'm worrying!" Koushi sobbed. "Because now he's older, he can see what the world has to offer him, and what if what he wants isn't _here_ , with us? Won't he leave us someday?" His cries intensified, and the other members of the student council wore pained expressions on their faces. When Koushi started crying, it hurt everybody.

"It's alright," Daichi laughed a little, running a hand up and down Koushi's back. "You'll still have me and I'll still have you. Even if Shouyou decides to leave Tokyo, or God forbid, _Japan_...we'll still be together."

Kageyama cleared his throat politely. Daichi turned towards him, and Koushi's sobs slowed down. "Um, Daichi," he called. "I'd like to know more about you both and Hinata. I mean, if possible. If it hurts to tell me, you don't have to."

Koushi untangled himself from Daichi's embrace, straightened up and wiped his eyes with Daichi's shirt. He offered a weak smile at Kageyama, his eyes watering. "I, uh, think Hinata should be the one to tell you, Kageyama," he apologised. "I'm sorry. I'm ready to tell you and so is Daichi, but it's more about Hinata than us."

  
"Understandable. I am sorry that I asked." Kageyama picked up a glass of cola and sipped it, unsurprised when a load of confetti went down his throat. Tanaka.

  
"They're just a beautiful, normal family," Nishinoya teased. "So loveable and understanding. I wish they'd raised me instead of Shouyou."

  
Koushi smiled, his mood clearing up. "We don't mind having two children."

  
Daichi's face was a thunderstorm. "Yes, we fucking do," he corrected Koushi. "Nishinoya is a mess. We aren't taking responsibility for that."

  
"Aw, Daichi! I'm not that bad!"

  
"Yeah, sorry, Nishinoya. Don't you remember the time when you made curry, but you didn't want to wash any bowls so you ate it straight out of the pot?" Asahi shuddered.

  
"You're forgetting the time when he tripped and fell on an old lady," Tsukishima added. "Her canteloupe got the worst of it."

  
"When he made that little girl cry on the train by taking her doll." Yamaguchi piped up.

  
"That time he forgot to wear boxers and nearly scraped his dick off ."

  
"His ass was a huge rash."

  
"The Great Baking Disaster of 2009."

  
"Shit, man, I was finding dough everywhere for _weeks_."

  
Kageyama looked around and smiled. He wasn't the type of guy to smile widely and with his whole heart like Hinata, but he felt the happiness inside of him. He wasn't emotionless or blank-faced, but it took a lot to make Kageyama laugh or smile. Kageyama had seen many things that were wrong with the world and once you had seen those cracks in humanity, happiness was hard to come by.

  
He saw Tsukishima. A part of him hated Tsukishima because they were exactly the same. Finding happiness was hard for them both, but Tsukishima had already found his happiness in Yamaguchi. While running back to the clubroom the other day, he'd seen the two hold hands and swing them as they walked through the hallways.

  
He saw Yamaguchi. A small, quiet boy who had only joined the student council because his partner did. Yamaguchi had no sense of direction and he often got lost walking around familiar places. He left his homework to the last minute and his writing was usually riddled with errors which Tsukishima often corrected with a sigh.

  
There was Asahi. He was the best guy ever. He was strong enough to lift a vending machine, dammit. Not like Shizuo Heiwajima or anything, not over his head - but it was good enough for Kageyama, and he idolised him. Especially when Asahi had tilted it a little too forward, causing three juice cartons to fall down. Asahi was kind, sweet, and offered great advice. He loved to help people and readily welcomed Kageyama into his comfortable daily routine.

  
Nishinoya was growing on him, too. He'd originally thought of Nishinoya as an annoying troublemaker with no substance - but within the past week, Kageyama knew Nishinoya was something more. The guy was loud, troublesome and plain weird, sure, but he was a hard worker and always fought for what he loved. He worked two jobs on top of attending school just to help his mother pay bills and cover food money, and Kageyama liked him a lot. He'd also found out that Koushi and Daichi had been buying him lunch for the past year as a favour for "babysitting" Hinata whenever they wanted some " _alone time_ ".

  
Tanaka was great. He supplied Kageyama with snacks, pencils, notebooks, earphones, anything. He gave Kageyama advice when it came to girls (not that his advice ever worked) and he was always good at picking Kageyama up. A couple of days ago they had met up and watched an entire rom-com to get tips on how girls acted. They came up with nothing, but they used up two whole tissue boxes mopping up their tears.

  
Koushi and Daichi were godsends. Whenever Kageyama felt like he was about to flip out because finding a girlfriend was proving really hard, Koushi would always run fingers through his hair or pat his back. He'd even been pulled into hugs and he wasn't ashamed to say that he had hugged back on more than one occasion. Koushi also made Kageyama cute little onigiri for he and Hinata to share, and Kageyama was eternally grateful seeing as his parents were never around to make him lunch. Daichi was a good father figure and often checked through Kageyama and Hinata's homework before classes. He'd once hugged Kageyama too, and ruffled his hair affectionately. Kageyama had smiled then, too.

  
But Hinata was the Sun, and he shone brighter than all of them.

  
Whenever Kageyama was walking to school, he would hear loud panting and frantic footsteps and he didn't even have to turn around to know that it was Hinata, scrambling to catch up with him. If he felt a foot on the back of his chair in Chemistry, it was Hinata. Whenever he got the lunch that he didn't want at school, Hinata was quick to share with him. Hinata's grades were better than his, although both of their grades sucked, so when they stayed behind after school for detention Hinata was there to smile softly at him.

Hinata.

  
The door flung open, revealing the out-of-breath boy himself.

  
Everyone shot up in their seats, and it was if sunlight had been injected into their veins.

  
"Kageyama!" Hinata explained. "I have a new idea for you!"

  
Koushi was leaning on Daichi's shoulder, breathing steady, even breaths. Daichi had a hand resting over Koushi's as he kissed his temple, both of them relieved to have Hinata back. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were sitting up attentively, eyes following Hinata's rapid movements. Asahi was smiling. Nishinoya and Tanaka looked at Hinata fondly, and Kageyama felt something hurt inside his chest.

  
Hinata presented a whiteboard, and on it were the words " **Speed Dating** ".

  
"This is what we have to do," Hinata explained, running a hand through his vibrant, bouncy hair. "I spent a long time thinking about this, so I know I'm right to some extent. Kageyama thought that Hasenda was just another pretty girl, which meant that he assumed her hobbies to be...?" His voice trailed off.

  
Tsukishima picked up immediately. "Watching rom-coms."

  
"Eating salads." Nishinoya declared triumphantly.

  
"Salon time with the girls." Tanaka crowed.

  
"Killing titans." Kiyoko deadpanned.

  
"Shopping!" Koushi snapped his fingers.

  
"Baking?" Kageyama suggested.

  
"Exactly!" Hinata looked pleased. "But apparently that wasn't the case. The Beauty of Tokyo doesn't like that regular girl stuff. We didn't know her well enough, and as a result, Kageyama's girl of choice had a weird bug fetish. So, to avoid the obstacle of unforeseen hobbies, what do we need to do?"

  
"Find out her hobbies and interests." Asahi noted.

  
"Maybe some background information would help." Daichi nodded.

  
Hinata smiled brightly and wheeled the board back to a corner of the room before flopping down onto Kageyama's lap. Kageyama spluttered and ducked his head as his cheeks flared up a bright red. Hinata placed his hands on Kageyama's shoulders and swung his feet. Kageyama noticed that they didn't touch the floor, and he felt a familiar hurt in his chest. Maybe he needed to go to the doctor.

  
"Speed dating is a quick and effective way to test compatibility with another person," Hinata informed him. "In about thirty seconds, you can click with a girl or totally fail with her. Just tell us the names of the girls you like and afterwards, we can contact them."

  
"I'll do your makeup." Asahi offered.

  
"Thanks, Asahi!" Hinata leaned back, his head falling onto Kageyama's shoulder. "Sure, you can do his makeup. But we'll also need some girls, and so we're each going to need to find at least three girls each for the speed dating to work."

  
Everyone nodded. The clock read two-thirty in the afternoon, and school ended at three-thirty exactly. All of the members had a free period, and so they decided to go scouting immediately.

 

* * *

 

Kageyama accompanied Hinata to the cafeteria. There was a group of girls sitting at a table, laughing over plates of cake. Hinata turned on his eagle eye (he'd seen some guy with it in _Kuroko no Basket_ , so it couldn't hurt to try it out) and looked at the girls. One was a pretty redhead with a black hair bow. Another was a petite blonde that laughed a lot, and the last had brown hair and nice eyes.

  
Hinata tugged Kageyama over, and the girls immediately starting fawning over Hinata. They pulled him down to sit with them, and the redhead even went as far as to spoon some cake into his mouth. The brunette girl hugged Hinata happily, telling him some weird joke. Kageyama only caught the punchline, and what kind of stupid joke would end with the phrase ' _I think you meant a hot dog_ '?

  
"Excuse me?"

  
Kageyama looked to the side and saw the blonde girl staring at him.

  
"What?" He pushed his hair back with a hand and yanked on his tie to loosen it a little.

  
The girl blushed. "N-nothing. It's just that you looked sort of left out. You're the new guy that transferred from Nekoma, right? Tobio?"

  
Kageyama grunted, displeased. "I go by Kageyama."

  
"Oh." The girl nodded, swallowing. "I'm Hitoka Yachi. How are you?"

  
"Fine." Kageyama looked away, bored. Talking to girls was boring. So why did Hinata look like he was having so much fun being fussed over?

  
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a hand holding a plate of cake out towards him, and the hand belonged to none other than Yachi.

  
"Have some." She offered him the plate, a blush rising on her cheeks. "I mean, you don't have to take the cake, i-it's just, Shouyou looks right at home, but you're just standing there awkwardly and I know that I'm making it more awkward by talking to you but I _feel like_ you're a _cake person_ -"

  
Kageyama cut her off. "I'm not a cake person."

  
"R-right." Yachi looked down at her shoes.

  
"But." Kageyama felt his voice soften. It must be those otome games coming back to kick him in the ass. "I'll be a cake person. Just this once."

  
Yachi's face was a burning scarlet as Kageyama lifted the spoon and placed some cake in his mouth. It was strawberry shortcake and disgustingly sweet, but Kageyama willed himself to pull through. If he didn't eat this fucking disgusting cake then he wouldn't be appealing to girls, which in turn would mean that no girl would marry him, and then he wouldn't be able to take over his family's fortune or carry on the Kageyama legacy.

  
Like it or not, it all came back to the nasty cake.

  
"Beautiful." Kageyama closed his eyes and sighed, trying to pretend that the cake didn't taste like ass.

  
"I'm so glad you like it," Yachi squeaked. "Our school uses the best quality ingredients and everything and the cream is fresh like from actual cows that moo and all so I hope you can taste the cow juice in the cream. Oh, and usually whenever I buy strawberry shortcake I feel like I can taste metal or something, I mean isn't that _weird_? But this one tastes of dreams and _sunshine_!" Kageyama was impressed. This girl's face was a shade of red that could rival Akashi Seijuro's hair.

  
The other girls began to laugh and gestured for Kageyama and Yachi to sit with them. Hinata looked like an absolute pimp with a girl on each arm. The redhead was leaning her head on his shoulder and the brunette was feeding him coffee cake. Hinata was loving the attention and even made noises of appreciation. Kageyama was oddly fascinated when he began to suck on the edge of the spoon.

  
"So," the redhead smiled. "Shouyou here has told us that you're looking to try out speed dating?"

  
Kageyama nodded. "That's right."

  
The redhead bit on her bottom lip. "I think that's pretty cool. Sakura and I have agreed to go on this speed date thing with you." She extended a hand towards Kageyama, which he accepted. "I'm Koyuki. It's nice to meet you."

"Kageyama, right?" The brunette girl asked with a gentle smile. "Hi. You're not as scary as the rumours say, actually."

"Rumours?" Kageyama bristled.

  
Hinata laughed a little as he pushed a sign-up sheet towards the two girls. "Nothing too bad. Just things like 'Kageyama's so mean' and 'Kageyama's hot but too tsundere' and 'Kageyama kicks puppies', nothing too bad."

  
" _I do not kick puppies_!"

  
Koyuki just beamed as she wrote down her details, as well as Sakura's, on the sheet. "It's okay, Kageyama, you can trust us."

  
Kageyama felt at ease. Maybe not every girl was like Kururi Hasenda. These girls were all nice and happy and sweet, and while Kageyama couldn't see himself marrying them or anything, they were pretty great.

  
Yachi sent him a sidelong glance and a pretty smile and then her face flushed red. Kageyama snickered.

  
_Yachi_ was pretty great.

 

* * *

 

Nishinoya ambled over to the sports centre, hands in his pockets and a tune in his head. Kageyama mentioned that he watched sports anime in his spare time, so maybe he'd like sporty girls.

  
The swimming pool was being used for the swim club, and the athletics girls were running laps outside. The girls who were into recreational fitness were pedalling on the bike machines and running on treadmills. Nishinoya cracked his neck and grinned before approaching the swimming pool. He sat on the edge of the pool and sighed.  
He thought about swimming. Swimming was cool. Especially since you could say killer one-liners like " _I just want to feel the water_ ". You just didn't get the same satisfaction muttering those words alone in the shower.

  
"Oi. You there, get your feet out of the pool! Pick one, dry land or water? You can't have both, you selfish brat! If you want to swim, get your costume on and get going!"

  
Nishinoya looked up to see a tall, scary woman in a bathing suit looking down at him. Nishinoya recognised her as Coach Mayu. She had long, pin-straight black hair flowing down her back and wore a string with a whistle on it around her neck. A clipboard was clutched against a large chest.

  
_Such huge boobs!_ Nishinoya cheered inwardly. _So hot_! If she wanted him to swim, then hell yeah he would.

  
"I don't have a swimming costume," Nishinoya replied, stars in his eyes. "Is skinny-dipping permitted, goddess?"

  
Coach Mayu frowned at him. "There are spares in the cupboard. Go."

  
"Aye aye!" Nishinoya ran off and got changed. He ran back ten minutes later, wearing a pair of knee length orange shorts. Coach Mayu nodded and allowed him to climb the ladder to the diving board. Nishinoya stood at the end and took a deep breath. Every girl in the pool had stopped to watch him.

  
_Come on, Noya. Do this right and you'll be even cooler than you are now._

  
Nishinoya bent his knees and catapulted his upper body forwards as he jumped off. Executing a perfect somersault, he allowed himself to fall for a little longer before thrusting out his arms and legs and yelling " _PRINCESS STARFISH, BITCHES_!" as he hit the surface of the water.

  
Applause and whoops filled the sports centre as around him, everyone laughed and cheered. Nishinoya rubbed some water out of his eyes and bowed his head, shouting along with everybody. Even Coach Mayu was sniggering, hiding her smile behind her hand. The swimmer girls crowded around him and lifted him up, while everyone on dry land and in the water shouted, "Noya! Noya! Noya!"

  
Nishinoya just waved his hands in the air. "Thank you, everybody! Since I just performed that awesome jump for you, what do the girls in the house say to doing me just a little favour?"

  
The girls cheered and pumped their fists in the air, pushing Nishinoya up higher.

  
"Great! My tsundere friend Kageyama needs a girlfriend, guys. He's sick of being lonely."

  
" _Awww_!" Every girl in a five-thousand metre radius crooned.

  
Nishinoya pulled a frownie face. "Right? So just out of pure love for Kageyama, we're holding a little speed dating session to find him his perfect girl. If you're up for it, let's get out of this pool and hunt down any other member of the student council but me! Go, go, go!"

  
The sports centre erupted in cheers and Nishinoya was gently slid back into the water as the girls got out of the pool, leaving him alone. Nishinoya shouted his thanks and breathed in the smell of chlorine. He swam a few more laps, re-enacting his favourite scenes from Free!, and then lay on his back in the water, singing Clear Blue Departure under his breath.

  
_Love was great, wasn't it?_

 

* * *

 

  
Tanaka had gone to the art class. In order to gain access to class on one of their special private lessons, he had offered his help to the teacher. He was pushed into the storage room at the back of the classroom by the teacher while thirty students sat waiting at their easels around the room. The teacher handed Tanaka a plain white sheet.

  
Tanaka just blinked at the teacher. "Uh. Thank you for the sheet. I really needed one."

  
The teacher just blinked at him and smiled. "No, thank _you_ , Tanaka. Really."

  
With a bashful smile, Tanaka waved a hand in the air. "Oh, come on," he said. "I'm just going to ask your students a few questions. Why are you thanking me? Is it because I'm going to grace them with my beautiful presence?"

  
The teacher just looked at Tanaka and sighed. "You said that you'd help in return for disturbing the class, correct?"

  
Tanaka didn't get where this was going.

  
"Today, they'll be painting a nude model."

  
"Yes, art is great," Tanaka nodded. "And what do I have to do with this?"

  
The teacher looked down at the sheet in Tanaka's hands, and then back up at Tanaka's face.

  
Tanaka followed her eye movements and began to laugh. "Oh, come on! That's really funny. You're joking, right?"

  
The teacher's eyes were dead.

  
"I- I'm not really going to be a nude model, right? _Right_?"

  
The teacher just pointed at their watch and left Tanaka alone in the storage room to change.

  
Tanaka grabbed the ends of his shirt to pull it over his head and thought about how hard he was going to punch Kageyama later that day.

 

* * *

 

Asahi had no idea how to pick up girls, so he tagged along with Koushi and Daichi. Shimizu said that she wasn't going to take part in the recruitment stage because she couldn't pick up girls, and that was good enough for Asahi. So off he went with the married couple and tried to pretend that he couldn't hear their whispered sweet words.

Nishinoya, Tanaka, Kageyama and Hinata had set off long ago to get some girls, and because of Asahi's nervousness he had tried to put off going for as long as possible until Koushi and Daichi said that they would offer him their support.

  
_Yeah, you're totally offering me your 'support' now_ , Asahi thinks as he sees the two with their intertwined fingers and secret smiles and quiet laughter and gentle kisses and _ugh_. How could anybody ever be happier than those two? It was like they had been together since the beginning of time, even though they'd only started dating as high-school first years. Asahi longed for love like that, but he didn't think he'd ever find it.

  
Nishinoya was constantly picking up girls. Asahi didn't even think that he was a virgin anymore. Tanaka most definitely wasn't - Asahi couldn't remember the last time that the guy had slept in his own bed, for crying out loud. The guy was a player through and through. Asahi was out of the love loop and it kind of hurt.

  
"Asahi, are you okay?"

  
Asahi snapped out of his reverie to see Koushi giving him a sweet smile. Daichi had a hand on Koushi's waist which pushed his shoulder into Daichi's chest, and Koushi had a hand falling onto Daichi's upper arm. How would they ever understand how Asahi was feeling?

  
"Yeah, I'm okay," Asahi reassured him. "Don't worry about me, Koushi. Uh...where are we headed?"

  
They had left the club room and were now walking down the halls of the central building. The central building held the hall, cafeteria and library as well as the student council club room, and Asahi wondered where they could be going. The cafeteria, maybe? But hadn't Shouyou said that he and Kageyama would be going there?

  
"The library," Daichi informed him. "I think that Kageyama should try some geekier girls."

  
Koushi snorted. "Just, y'know, not the type that collects bugs."

  
Asahi bit back a smirk as he thought of Kururi Hasenda. She had seemed like an untouchable beauty queen to him before the incident. Now, whenever any member of the student council passed her in the halls, they began to laugh until they cried. Asahi always felt bad whenever Kururi violently blushed, but it was hilarious. Bugs.

  
"Here we go." Daichi pulled open the library door.

  
Sitting around were students on laptops, scribbling in notebooks and skimming pages in classics. Koushi and Daichi looked around, picking out potential girls.  
"Glasses, long, straight hair by the back window." Koushi murmured as they walked inbetween the shelves.

  
"Looks more like Noya's type." Asahi commented, hiding behind a copy of an atlas.

  
"I don't know, I think Kageyama might like her."

  
Koushi volunteered to go forward and talk to her. Daichi and Asahi hid behind a bookshelf and watched.

  
"Hi there," Koushi waved a hand quickly.

  
The girl dropped her book with a loud thud. "Oh. H-hi." She fixed her glasses anxiously. "S-sorry, I don't get many people talking to me." Fingers ran through her long, straight hair, neatening it up a little. Daichi's heart swelled with jealousy. That was his Koushi.

  
_Don't bother putting on a weird preening show, he's gay and he loves me_ , he scowled.

  
Koushi just laughed in disbelief. "Oh, come on now. You're beautiful. You must have every guy in this school coming up to you and telling you how beautiful you are every day."

  
The girl blushed. "No, not exactly...but thank you." She made a move to pick up her book again.

  
Koushi cleared his throat. "Listen. You're a beautiful girl, and you'd make any guy happy. But I have this friend. Total tsundere. He couldn't express his emotions properly to save his life, but he's looking for love in an outrageously pretty girl. You'd be perfect for him, so...would you care to join him on a speed date?"

  
The girl's mouth formed an 'O' shape. "Ah! I...um...okay."

  
"Yeah?" Koushi's eyes twinkled. "Well, good. Thank you, beautiful. 

  
With a final smile and a wave, Koushi went back to the others. Asahi was astounded. Who knew that his adorable uke friend had so much game? However, Daichi wasn't so pleased.

  
"Asahi," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Sorry. But do you mind if we leave now? I don't want to stay any longer."

  
Asahi blinked rapidly but agreed all the same, and the trio left the library. Asahi hurriedly excused himself and went home babbling about needing to go grocery shopping anyway.

  
Daichi's fingers, which were always entertwined with Koushi's, now felt cold and airy. Koushi, who had been walking five steps behind Daichi the whole way back, ran up to his husband/boyfriend and slung his arms around his neck, muttering into his collarbones. "D-Daichi, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"

  
Daichi's arms hung by his sides. "Koushi. It's nothing."

  
"B-but-"

  
"We're going home. Right now."

  
"Daichi." Koushi's eyes were watering and he was biting on his lip. Daichi hated when he did that. He looked far too cute for an eighteen year-old, and far too cute for Daichi.  
"Koushi." he muttered, bringing his arms up to squeeze Koushi tightly to his body. "You're _mine_."

 

* * *

  
  
Sending Hinata a quick message to stay at someone else's house for the night as soon as they stepped through the front door, Daichi felt at ease. He and Koushi would have the entire house to themselves for the night. They had already slipped their blazers off and hung them on the wooden hooks by the front door.

  
Koushi wrapped his arms around Daichi's neck and brought their lips together slowly. Daichi's hands pulled Koushi closer, fingers pressing into his waist, while Koushi's hands tangled in his hair. Before they knew it, their shirts were off and they were standing in the hallway in their slacks. Koushi's nimble fingers skilfully undid Daichi's belt buckle and rid him of his slacks. Daichi did the same for Koushi as he guided him towards their bedroom.

Tripping over piles of textbooks and mounds of old clothing, Daichi pushed his lover onto the bed and hovered above him.  
Koushi was beautiful. His silver hair like the sky before a thunderstorm glinted in the setting sun's light, and a blush rose high on his cheeks. His eyes were closed and he looked blissfully happy and in love. Daichi tenderly kissed the little mole under Koushi's left eye. Koushi sighed happily and pulled Daichi closer. His mouth tasted of coffee, which Koushi hated drinking but loved the taste when it was coupled with Daichi- and their skin was slick with sweat, their heads heavy with happiness.

  
Koushi's lips were soft and forgiving, but Daichi's were hard and unrelenting. Daichi always won in terms of kisses, but Koushi didn't mind. Daichi's mouth moved down Koushi's neck, sucking on the skin just under his ear. Fireworks exploded in his head as he tasted the sweat on Koushi's skin and felt his hard abdominal muscles under his skin. Koushi broke the kiss and lay back, murmuring, "They aren't as good as yours but I'm still ripped, I swear."

  
Daichi nodded and laughed, pulling Koushi upright. Koushi straddled his waist and kissed along his neck, his lips lightly ghosting over his skin like the a crow's feathers, and Daichi knew that he was done for as Koushi's boxers hit the floor, soon joined by his own. Koushi's hands settled on his shoulders and then slid down his arms until they held hands with their fingers intertwined, smiling and overjoyed and loving.

  
With every thrust of Daichi's hips, Koushi gasped his name and Daichi loved it. He loved every second of it. Their skin was slippery and sweaty and it was hard to keep hold of Koushi because they were both hot and tired, but Daichi had promised long ago that he was never going to let Koushi go, and he was not about to break that promise now.

 

* * *

 

  
"Daichi."

  
"Koushi." Daichi looked at the body in his arms and the fluffy silver hair pressed against his shoulder. Koushi's palms were pressed flat against his chest as they lay there together, heartbeats merging.

  
"I'm sorry for flirting with that girl in front of you."

  
Daichi's arms tightened around Koushi's body. His Koushi, in his t-shirt in his bed under his sheets and in his arms. Koushi had always been his, and he had always been Koushi's, right from when they first met. He pressed a kiss to Koushi's temple and said, "You were only trying to help Kageyama. I had no right to get angry with you."

Koushi scrambled to get himself upright in the bed, leaving Daichi's arms. His eyes glistened with tears, the lashes already wet, and he brought up a hand to wipe the tears away, sniffling. Daichi sat up with him and sighed, grabbing Koushi and pulling him to sit inbetween his legs.

  
"B-but you call me beautiful," Koushi cried quietly. "That's what you call me, every day. When we're making breakfast for Shouyou, or watering the plants in the garden, or grocery shopping. That's what you call me. And I used it on some girl I don't even know. It felt like I was throwing it back in your face, didn't it?"

  
Daichi flinched. Trust Koushi to figure him out exactly to the last detail.

  
"Maybe," he muttered reluctantly. "But still. I should never ever get angry with you. I don't want to, ever again."

  
Koushi wiped his eyes with Daichi's long-sleeved shirt and sighed happily, his back to his husband/boyfriend's chest.

  
"I want you to forget about what your dad said to you. We're so good together, Daichi."

  
"I know we are, beautiful."

  
"Your dad was crazy to treat you the way he did. We raised Shouyou, and he turned out great."

  
"Yeah, he did."

  
"I didn't think that we'd be able to do it," Koushi turned around to face him, eyes sparkling. "But I'm so glad that we went through with it anyway."

  
Daichi rubbed his nose along Koushi's ear and sighed. "I love you both more than anything else in the world. You're my family, and I'll love you forever."

  
"Oh, _Daichi_." Koushi's lower lip wobbled and his eyes filled with tears again. "Look what you made me do! I hate you! Ah, I'm crying again!"

  
Daichi ran his hands up and down Koushi's bare thighs to warm them up. Koushi pressed into him happily and smiled.

  
"D-Daichi." Koushi mumbled.

  
"You want to go to sleep again, don't you." Daichi replied, amused.

  
Koushi attempted a nod, but it was more of an awkward head-shake. " _Nyah_."

  
Daichi just shuffled around into a more comfortable position and nodded. "Okay. You can sleep now, Koushi."

  
"I love you."

  
"I love you, too."


	5. help me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The speed dating commences, the student council look snazzy, Yachi is adorable as ever, and Hinata and Kageyama grow closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it took me forever to get this chapter out, i know. but thank you to everyone who has commented and left me kudos! it means a lot, especially since i'm always so unsure about my writing. i tried to include some kagehina this chapter, so i hope you like it. also, i am not quite sure what i've been writing as this chapter was written over the space of a week, so i sat down to write different parts at different times.
> 
> this chapter gets quite dark...so i hope you guys are okay with darker themes. also, you might think that what hinata does is a little rushed, but i can assure you that it's just how i think hinata would be in this situation.
> 
> my tumblr is nekomajousai if you guys want to be comrades

Hinata sent Koushi and Daichi weird looks at the student council meeting the next day. The random text had surprised him, and luckily Nishinoya was still around. He'd spent the night on Nishinoya's couch wrapped up in a blanket, the events of the day still in his mind.

  
He had caught Kageyama staring at him on more than one occasion yesterday, each time wearing an odd but calm expression on his face. But Hinata found that he didn't mind. Whenever Kageyama was angry, his dark blue eyes would swirl like angered waves in the ocean, but yesterday, his eyes had been the blue of a calm sea.

  
Hinata wanted to see that colour again.

  
"So, Kageyama," he sang, turning to face him in the chair. "Today is your speed dating session! Are you excited?"

  
Kageyama just took another sip of his cola and looked Hinata dead in the eyes. "As long as I can get married to one of them, I don't care."

  
"Don't be like that!" Hinata scowled. "I think that you'll find love in one of these girls today. What about that one girl that you met yesterday? Yachi? She seemed to like you."

  
Kageyama grunted, and Hinata took that as a yes.

  
"You thought she was cute, didn't you Kageyama?" Hinata crowed,winking at him flirtatiously. "You liked _Yachi_."

  
"She was nice."

  
"Yeah? Did you feel like you could be natural around her?" Hinata pressed.

  
Kageyama nodded, because it was true. Yachi had been sweet, kind and careful, and she didn't seem like the type of girl to get in his way or irritate him. That type of girl would be a female Hinata.

  
Kageyama shuddered as he thought of Hinata as a girl. With long orange hair and a wide smile and an annoying high-pitched voice that always seemed to be screaming " _Kageyama_!"

  
_Ew. No._

  
Hinata flounced off to talk to Nishinoya while Tanaka chugged orange juice from a bottle. Asahi was anxiously wiping up any spills on the table while Shimizu jotted down notes in a black notebook. Koushi and Daichi were tried to avoid the clutches of sleep, dark bags underneath their eyes. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were sharing a plate of strawberry shortcake, a deep blush high on Tsukishima's cheekbones.

  
Kageyama supposed that the two were dating. It was the only plausible reason why Yamaguchi was blushing along with Tsukishima. Tsukishima leaned in close to kiss some cream off of the corner of Yamaguchi's lips and Kageyama sighed internally. He didn't want love, or anything like what those two and Koushi and Daichi had. He just needed a girl.

  
Kageyama scoffed. They could all talk about love and being together until the end of time, but that was the game of fools. Love wasn't a real thing.

  
He didn't even need friends. Well, maybe he just needed Hinata. While the boy himself was annoying, Kageyama couldn't help but admit that Hinata's company was refreshing.Girls liked Hinata, too, so Hinata couldn't bring himself to understand why Hinata hadn't agreed to go on any dates with them.

 _Oh, well. It isn't any of my business, anyway,_ Kageyama decided.

 

* * *

  
Asahi was brushing Kageyama's hair through carefully, arranging his fringe to flop over one eye. Hinata said that it made him look mysterious and put his tsundere level over a thousand. Chapstick was applied to his lips again, and lastly, Koushi and Daichi artfully unbuttoned Kageyama's uniform shirt and gave him the thumbs-up.

  
Hinata led him through the halls of the main building and into another room. Nishinoya and Tanaka were there hanging up pink and white streamers along the wall. Kiyoko was pinning up sheets of pink satin above the doorway for the girls to make their entrances. Koushi was placing glasses full of lemonade on the tabletop, one on Kageyama's side and one opposite him. Daichi was anxiously pacing the room, checking the list of names on the clipboard.

  
"Sit here, Kageyama." Hinata tapped the tabletop and Kageyama obediently slid into the slightly uncomfortable chair covered in pink material as the Hinata and the others left the room. He poked at the little confetti stars and hearts that covered the tabletop, and then proceeded to make a little tune by banging his fingernail on the rim of the glass.

  
And then the others returned.

  
They were dressed in suave, elegant black suits with flattering cuts and different coloured ties save for Kiyoko and her flowing white dress. Koushi's was grey, Daichi's was black, Asahi's was purple, Nishinoya's was orange, Tanaka's was green, Tsukishima's was red and Yamaguchi's was yellow. Hinata bounded up to the table, a dark blue tie around his neck the exact shade of Kageyama's eyes.

  
"Wait a fucking second. Why am I the one in uniform when _I'm_ the one who needs to get laid?" Kageyama hissed.

  
Hinata just stuck his tongue out and winked, looking eerily like his stupid cousin. "Because, Kageyama. Girls like eye candy. We'll pull them in."

  
"My shota friend!" Nishinoya hurtled towards Hinata and Kageyama and landed in Hinata's arms. The two shota-ish boys spun around laughing loudly while Koushi and Daichi clapped affectionately. Asahi looked puzzled.

  
"The girls are coming," Tsukishima called out. "Positions, everyone. Hinata."

  
"Right!"

  
"Does Kageyama still look hot?"

  
"Of course he does, he's Kageyama!"

  
"Yes, sir!"

  
The Karasuno student council members stood on either side of the door and welcomed in the first girl. Her hair was waist-length and red, and she had an adorable smile. Nishinoya and Tanaka bowed deeply, straightening up with smirks. "What a wonderful face you're wearing," Nishinoya simpered, kissing her hand tenderly. "Where on earth did you get it?"

  
"Online," the girl replied. "Can we get on with this?"

  
"Certainly, princess." Hinata gestured for the girl to come forward, leaving Nishinoya and Tanaka sobbing silently and falling all over each other. Koushi straightened their ties with a reprimanding glare. Hinata checked the girl's name off on the list and escorted her to Kageyama's table. Koushi and Daichi stood on either side of Kageyama and Koushi poured the girl a drink while Daichi set a thirty-second timer.

  
Go.

  
Kageyama sat forward quickly, a blush on his cheeks. "I need a wife."

  
The girl blinked. "You're so forward. What do you want me to do about it?" She took a swig of her drink.

  
"Be my wife," Kageyama replied.

  
The girl spat out her drink all over Kageyama. Koushi topped up the girl's glass while Daichi mopped the stream of sprite from Kageyama's hair with a towel.

  
"How about no?" The girl spluttered. "Why would you even ask that?"

  
"Because you're meant to get to the point quickly. It's a speed date."

  
"You're crazy."

  
The timer went off and the girl slipped out of her seat, lead away by Tsukishima. Within ten seconds, Nishinoya placed a new glass on the table, taking the used one to Asahi who was washing them in the adjoining room. Tanaka brought the next girl over to Kageyama while Hinata and Yamaguchi welcomed in the girls at the door.

  
"I'm Mizuko Hanaru. Hi." The girl held out a hand to Kageyama, who shook it in a lazy motion.

  
"I'm Kageyama."

  
"What do you like to do?" Mizuko took a small sip of her drink.

  
"I like to read. I also, uh..."

  
Koushi gestured towards Daichi and mouthed the words ' _student council_ '.

  
Kageyama nodded. "I'm also interested in homosexuals."

  
Koushi fainted.

  
"Oh?" The girl laughed, pleased. "Hasenda was right, you're awkwardly cute!"

  
Kageyama had been smiling happily. Mizuko seemed nice and fairly normal. But as soon as she had namedropped the weirdest girl in existence, Kageyama bared his teeth and snarled at the girl.

  
"Hasenda! _Bug girl_? You're friends with _bug girl_? Are you her accomplice? Is that it? Is there something weird about you too? What do you collect, _dicks_?"

  
" _What_?" Mizuko shrieked.

  
"Hasenda, you witch," Kageyama hissed. "Did she set you up to do this?"

  
"No!"

  
"Liar! Are you wearing a microphone?" Kageyama reached towards Mizuko's chest and pulled aside some frills on her shirt to look for a small microphone. Mizuko screamed and bolted just as the buzzer chimed thirty seconds, leaving a saddened Kageyama staring at his glass.

  
"H-hi, Kageyama." A quiet, gentle voice greeted him.

  
Kageyama looked up from the tabletop and saw the girl from the cafeteria. He vaguely remembered her as the girl that invited him to sit with Hinata and her friends. She had been pleasant and cute, and the memory of their encounter brought relief to Kageyama's broken spirit.

  
"Yachi. Is that your name?"

  
"Yeah, that's me." Nishinoya pulled out Yachi's chair and the speed date began.

  
Yachi's short blonde hair had been combed through and lightly dusted with glitter spray. Her eyes were outlined in a soft pink shadow while her lashes were dark and thick. Pale lips covered in gloss stretched in a small smile. A cherry blossom blush bloomed high on her cheekbones, happiness reflected clearly in her eyes.

  
"It's nice to see you again." Kageyama tried his best to smile and failed miserably.

  
Yachi laughed a little. "I agree! You seemed nice, so I mean, uh...this is nice! I think your hair looks nice too. Everything about you is sort of, uh... _nice_! You're really, really _nice_. Kageyama. Why didn't your parents call you Nice?" She rambled. "I mean, Nice is totally legitimately a name. Like there's even a guy called Nice in Hamatora. Can you _believe_ that? I mean, uh-"

  
"Yachi," Kageyama couldn't suppress his smile. He ran a hand through his hair, making sure it covered one eye correctly, and fixed her with a bright grin. "You're pretty cute when you ramble, you know?"

  
Yachi's entire face turned red, and Koushi and Daichi silently fist bumped behind Kageyama's chair. The buzzer sang out for thirty seconds and Tsukishima escorted Yachi away, a hand on her back.

  
Kageyama picked up his glass for a drink and was so distracted that he didn't notice half of it pouring down his neck and sticking his shirt to his skin. He didn't notice the cold which should have hit him. All he noticed was the fact that his heartbeat had undeniably sped up, a burst of sparse happiness in his chest.

 

* * *

  
After meeting Yachi, the speed dates seemed to go smoother. Kageyama laughed in all of the right places, asked the right questions, nodded sympathetically when girls cried about their problems to him. He'd even gone as far as to spit some Tamaki Suoh-worthy lines at a girl once she'd told Kageyama about her old cheating boyfriend.

  
The boys were getting changed back into their regular clothes for the journey home. Tanaka only lived one train stop away. Kageyama lived four stops away. Nishinoya lived within walking distance. Koushi, Daichi and Hinata lived about ten minutes away from the school, and Asahi lived even further away than Kageyama.

  
"At first, I was like, ' _Damn. This boy will stay a virgin forever_.' But damn, Kageyama!" Nishinoya thumped him on the shoulder. "You were so slick for the second half, I thought that hot third-year was going to rip your shirt off."

  
Kageyama just shrugged. "I played lots of otome games as practise."

  
"Those are fun," Koushi piped up. "I love playing otome games! I choose the bad routes on purpose because I've already got the love of my life. I don't need to win anything."

  
Tanaka howled, tears running like train tracks down his cheeks. "Fuck you, Koushi!" he brought a hand up to flick his tears away. "I'm alone!"

  
"But that means you can stick it anywhere you want to," Daichi winked.

  
Tanaka smirked. "Damn straight I can." He spun around and leaned against the wall next to Koushi. He trailed his nose down Koushi's jawline and murmured, "So babe. Do you wanna do the do-" he clicked his tongue -" _or nah_?"

  
Daichi just stood back, shaking his head. "I was going to hit you for trying to pick up Koushi, but I just couldn't do it once I realised that you're so pitiful you get your pickup lines from vines."

  
Asahi looked pained. "Come on, guys," he pleaded as Nishinoya started screaming with laughter. "Let's not pick on Tanaka's inability to get a girlfriend. I need to get home earlier today."

  
"How come, Asahi?" Nishinoya stuffed his suit messily into his bag.

  
Asahi sighed. "My parents need me. I don't know why."

  
"Sure," Hinata smiled. "Let's go now." Hinata grabbed Kageyama's hand, ignoring his protests, and moved forward to tug on Koushi's sleeve.

  
"Mom, Dad. Can Kageyama come over?"

  
Koushi pursed his lips and crossed his arms. "I don't know, Shou," he replied solemnly. "Your grades in math haven't been the best. You said that you were going to try harder this year."

  
"Mommy! _I am_!"

  
Daichi sighed deeply and stood behind Koushi. "Okay, Kageyama can come as long as you do the dishes tonight."

  
"Yay!"

  
"Daichi!" Koushi laughed and placed a hand on his husband/boyfriend's chest. "You're such a pushover." Koushi's eyes were wide, the light in the room melting the dark brown irises even more. Daichi just made a noise of disagreement, settling a hand on Koushi's waist. "Can you blame me?" he asked. "Look at Shouyou's face. That's cute."

  
Hinata whooped happily and jumped on Kageyama, squeezing his waist tightly with his legs. Kageyama felt the breath leave his lungs as the weird treasurer cuddled the life out of him.

  
"Don't I have any say in this?" Kageyama twisted Hinata's ear.

  
"Okay, ow." Hinata grinned cheekily. "You'll have fun, Kageyama!"

  
"'Fun' won't get me married."

  
"That's harsh."

  
"Life is harsh."

  
"And so are you."

  
"You just bring out everything bad in me."

  
"Kageyama! Shouyou! Stop flirting!" Tanaka barked. "We're going!"

 

* * *

  
After they waved Asahi and Tanaka off at the train station, the Daisuga family and Kageyama continued walking with Nishinoya until the main road. There, Nishinoya left and carried on walking by himself with a cheerful wave goodbye. Koushi and Daichi's hands were linked, while Hinata and Kageyama trailed behind them.

  
"You're going to love our house, Kageyama," Hinata beamed, practically skipping alongside him. "It has two rooms, and two bathrooms, but there's a study too. We all work in there. Our kitchen is mad awesome, too! We have a nice garden and sometimes Nishinoya sits out there with me and we eat ice cream for dinner."

  
"I question Nishinoya's babysitting methods." Koushi sighed.

  
Daichi ran his hands along Koushi's arms. "Nishinoya means well," he assured him. "He's a little weird, but you know he's good at heart."

  
"Of course." Koushi humoured him.

  
They walked down a few more roads, pausing at crossings, Koushi checking that they were both safe. And eventually, they came to a stop in front of a small, quaint house. There were neatly trimmed hedges with small flowers, their petals falling onto the pavement. The gate was painted powder blue and speckled in rust. A little sign next to the door proudly proclaimed that Daichi, Koushi and Hinata lived there. Daichi pulled out a key and unlocked the front door while Koushi patted Kageyama's shoulder.

  
Kageyama supposed that their house was quite nice. His own was modern, cold and uncomfortable. He was forever getting scolded for tucking his feet up on the couch, using mugs without a coaster underneath, or leaving clothes on his bedroom floor. As a result, Kageyama's room was spotless and impersonal, the colour scheme picked by an interior designer and the furniture was his mother's personal taste.

  
But Hinata's room...well, where could he begin? There was his junior high volleyball uniform hanging on a hook by the door. Countless posters of sporting heroes and anime characters decorated the walls. His bed was a mess, the covers twisted. Books lay scattered across the carpet while his bookshelf was almost empty. Clothes were draped over his desk, chair and bedposts, and Kageyama had the feeling that Hinata's wardrobe was probably empty too.

  
"Your room is nice," Kageyama whispered, his eyes scanning the personal touches with what could only be described as longing swelling up in his heart."It's so...you."

  
"Thanks?" Hinata wrinkled his nose. "I mean, I got to design it the way I wanted. Mommy let me pick all the posters I wanted, as well!"

  
Kageyama walked around the room slowly, his fingers lightly touching Hinata's beaten textbooks and little trinkets.

  
"Do you like it?"

  
Kageyama turned to see Hinata smiling at him, one arm holding the other behind his back. Hinata's hair was still glowing its fierce orange, and Kageyama was sure that it was a fire that was never going to go out. His smile was friendly and unsure, waiting for Kageyama's approval. When Hinata wasn't bossing him around or creeping him out, Kageyama guessed that he could be considered...cute.

  
His eyes went to the trinket that he was currently touching. It was a little glass crow statue, with the wings extended. Every feather was detailed, little lines tracing dents in the feathers. The glass was a smoky grey colour verging on black, and Kageyama liked the way that the effect seemed to capture the image of mist before a storm.  
Kageyama grunted. "It's cool."

  
Hinata nodded excitedly. "Hell yeah, it's cool!" he bounded over to join Kageyama and grabbed one of his hands. "Mom and Dad got it for me. They said that 'humans don't have wings, and so they search for ways to fly'. It's to inspire me to never give up just because I wasn't made for something. I might not be the best at something, but that doesn't mean that I can't continue to work hard at it."

  
"Why do you call them your mom and dad?"

  
"Because they're my parents, of course!" Hinata told him brightly.

  
"They're obviously not."

  
"Well, what do you know?" A crease appeared between Hinata's eyebrows.

  
Kageyama blinked at him. "How don't you know? Two men can't have children, and plus they're one year older than you. That doesn't work out. They're not your parents, so why do you call them that?"

  
Immediately, Kageyama regretted opening his mouth. Hinata snatched the crow statue from his hands and slammed it back down onto his dresser, ignoring the loud clanking sound. Frantically, Kageyama checked the crow for cracks, but Hinata just slammed it back down again.

  
"Hinata, you idiot, you're going to break it-"

  
"-just go, Kageyama."

  
"Hinata?"

  
" _Fucking leave_!"

  
All traces of the sun inside Hinata had vanished. His face was dark and expressionless, his eyes blank and dark. Kageyama tried to look for the spark again, that little surge of electricity that had the ability to kickstart anyone's heart, but it wasn't there.

  
"Hinata?" Kageyama slowly placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder, feeling the sharp bone underneath. "Hinata, I'm sorry, I just-"

  
"Let's be honest now. You're not," Hinata cut him off. "It probably felt good to say, didn't it? But _really_ , what would you know. You don't know anything, Kageyama, and I'm not just talking about your shit test scores. You know nothing about my family, or me. So just get out."

  
"Keep your voice down," Kageyama muttered. Koushi and Daichi were cooking in the kitchen, and the last thing he needed was for Hinata's loving 'daddy' to kick his ass. "Hinata, _seriously_."

  
"You're a horrible person," Hinata told him, his lower lip wobbling. Hinata's eyes filled with tears, his eyelashes darkening. "You'll probably never get married, because I don't know what girl would want to put up with you. You're so _mean_ , Kageyama." The tears spilled free now, as Hinata squeezed his eyes shut, looking the epitome of pitiful.

  
Kageyama hurriedly enveloped Hinata in his arms. One arm wrapped around Hinata's shoulders while the fingers of the other hand tangled in his orange hair. Hinata's hands came up to clutch at Kageyama's shirt, his tears dampening the material.

  
Being an only child with emotionally detatched parents who were constantly out of the house had meant that Kageyama was raised knowing nothing about the ways of family. He didn't know anything about the strong bonds which people shared, nor did he know any accepted patterns of behaviour. He didn't know that families shared love and affection because all he had ever known about families was what he saw on television. And all of a sudden, Kageyama realised that he was an idiot.

  
"I'm an idiot." Kageyama sighed, resting his chin on top of Hinata's head.

  
Hinata tried to laugh, but failed miserably and ended up coughing. "Hah. Yeah, you are."

  
"Do you still like me though?"

  
Hinata hid his smile in Kageyama's tear-stained shirt. "Of course. I've always liked you."

 

* * *

  
Dinner was a loud, eventful affair.

  
Koushi and Daichi had made ramen with eggs cooked in, and it tasted delicious. At Kageyama's house, the meals were always complicated and required plenty of preparation time. Kageyama thought that food needed to be cooked for a long time in order for it to be delicious, but after tasting the miracle that is salt ramen, he was seriously beginning to rethink that theory.

  
"Have you done your homework, Shouyou?" Koushi asked, grabbing a clump of noodles with his chopsticks. "We don't want to hear from your teacher that you're behind again."

  
Daichi fixed Hinata with a severe look. "You remember what happened last time your teacher complained about you, I'm sure."

  
Hinata shuddered. He could remember it quite well. His Geography teacher tattled to Principal Takeda about Hinata being behind several pieces of homework, and saying that he appeared vaguely subdued in class. Koushi and Daichi had made him stay up late that night while they checked and re-checked his homework, even going as far as going to the teacher with Hinata to hand in the work together.

  
"I-it's fine!" Hinata assured them both, placing his chopsticks down on the table. "It's, uh, nothing! I'm all up to date with my work, promise!"

  
"That's good." Koushi gave Daichi a little side smile, and Kageyama had no doubt that Daichi's hand was on Koushi's thigh or something. Love was weird.

  
"And do you like being at Karasuno, Kageyama? Can you call it home yet?"

  
Kageyama shrugged. "It feels better being here than at Nekoma. That much I can say."

  
"Yeah?" Daichi brightened. "That's great! So good to hear, actually. Are you glad that you joined the student council?"

  
Well, what was Kageyama going to say? Looking at three smiling faces was a little offputting. So he tried his best to smile (it didn't work) and said, "I'm very glad."

 

* * *

  
After dinner, Hinata and Kageyama retreated to Hinata's room. Daichi had called Kageyama's house (his parents still weren't back from work yet, so like usual, only their housekeeper was there) and arranged for Kageyama to stay over at their house for the night. The housekeeper readily agreed, and so Kageyama found himself watching the weird student council treasurer as he laid out a futon for him, kicking books and clothes out of the way.

  
Koushi and Daichi had popped in to say goodnight to them both, and Kageyama found himself on the receiving end of warm goodnight hugs from Hinata's doting parents. It filled Kageyama with a warm feeling, and all that Kageyama knew was that he liked feeling that way.

  
The warm feeling stayed with him until way after lights out, when Hinata started talking.

  
"Kageyama."

  
"Hmm?" Kageyama rolled onto his side, to look up at Hinata on the bed.

  
"I know that they're not my real parents. I've always known that."

  
In the dark, Kageyama's gaze softened, trying to seek out those bright eyes. "Hinata. It's uneccessary for you to explain yourself to me. I'm sorry for saying what I did."

  
"No."

  
"No?" Kageyama echoed.

  
"Yeah, 'no'," Hinata countered. "I know that I've only known you for a week, Kageyama, but sometimes I find myself thinking that it's been longer than that. Because sometimes when I catch your eye in class and you catch mine, it's like I know what you're thinking. You sometimes talk to me without even turning around to see me enter a room. You always know I'm there."

  
"Well, yeah," Kageyama was confused, but he went along with it. "You always bring along this weird feeling whenever you enter a room. It's sort of...bright."

  
"Bright?" Hinata sounded surprised.

  
Kageyama flopped onto his back, sighing. "Like...the sun."

  
"The sun." Hinata said dryly. "Nice. Beautiful comparison."

  
"You're such trash," Kageyama muttered. "That's what it feels like. I answered honestly."

  
"Kageyama," his name was drawn out and softened at the edges as Hinata said it. "You're actually a sap. That's cute."

  
Kageyama grunted in response, so Hinata took that as his cue to start.

  
"You distracted me, Kageyama. Okay, I'll start from when I was a kid. Okay." Hinata took a deep breath and scrambled upright on the bed, patting the spot next to him. With a sigh, Kageyama hopped up next to him and rested a hand on his shoulder.

  
"I haven't always lived here, near Karasuno," Hinata began, his voice trembling. "I lived a lot further out, in Miyagi. I liked Miyagi a lot, even though I didn't have any friends back in middle school. They thought I was too quiet and strange, so nobody ever bothered to make the effort of befriending me. I suppose I can't blame them. I wasn't the best company. Too shy, too untrusting. But there was a reason for that."

  
Hinata's hand pulled Kageyama's off of his shoulder and resorted to holding it instead.

  
"My father was an alcoholic." Hinata could feel the tears burning at his eyes. "A really bad one, actually. He lost his job six times before he started binge drinking. I guess it was just one too many holes in his heart. He didn't work, and he was unemployed. My mother did all of the work for us. She cared for me, and my sister, and I love her for that."

  
Kageyama's eyes widened. _Hinata had a sister_?

  
"Anyway, it was hard," Hinata continued. "Every day I woke up early to avoid my father, sprayed all of my mother's perfume on my uniform to rid it of the smell of cigarette smoke so that the teachers wouldn't suspect anything, and I always got to school around two hours early. The sun would just be rising, so I'd sit there next to this tree of crows. They were really nice. Whenever I would open my book, they'd fly down and hop around me. I suppose that they were my first friends.

  
As I was nearing the end of middle school, my father's drinking habit got even worse. He bought way more cigarettes, there was more alcohol in our house than anything else, and he was gambling what little money we had away. It was hurting us so bad. Debt collectors would ask for money which we didn't _have_ , and my mother would try to pay, but it wasn't enough. My father started to hurt us. He would grab my mother's hair and tug until her screams broke something inside of me. Hope was gone. I began to realise that the world was cruel. He slammed her into walls until she was knocked out cold, punches and kicks that even _I_ could feel, two rooms away with my pillow clamped down over my head.

  
I didn't _mind_ getting hurt. I didn't even mind the chore of hiding my bruises. It made me forget about the future. I just hated it when he hurt Natsu and my mother. What would happen to us? We had nothing left. I could try and get a job once I entered high school, but with the way my father was going through our savings, it wouldn't work. My mother had a friend from school that she'd stayed in touch with, and they were her only form of rescue.

  
His name was Ittetsu Takeda, and he was in my mother's high school. They were best friends, along with the guy who would later marry Uncle Takeda. His name is Ukai Keishin, and they live together now. Anyway, my mother didn't want anyone to know about what was happening to us because she thought that we might get taken away from her and put into the foster care system. She just wanted us to live.

  
So she called Uncle Takeda. He had been living in Tokyo after moving away from Miyagi for university. They made a deal. She had been quietly saving some money so that one day, she could leave. It wasn't enough to raise me and Natsu and start a new life, though. I knew that Natsu would be safe with my mother, and while I wanted to stay with them both, I knew that it wouldn't work. The deal was that my mother would take Natsu and move overseas, and I offered to stay with Uncle Takeda.

  
We did it. One day when my father was passed out cold from drinking, she packed our bags and we left. Uncle Takeda met me at the train station and we boarded a train down to Tokyo. My mother and Natsu took the train to the airport. That was the last I saw of them, and I don't think I'll ever see them again. But at least they're safe.

  
Living with Uncle Takeda was nice, if a little awkward. He didn't know me and I didn't know anything about him other than the fact that he was the principal of some school. I was too shy, and still untrusting. But one day, the summer just before I was due to enter Karasuno Academy, two students came over to Uncle Takeda's apartment to discuss the upcoming student council teamwork competition.

  
I met Koushi and Daichi that day, and it was the first time I'd smiled in ages. I finally ate more than a mouthful of food. They liked me, and I liked them. When they joked about me being their child, I was sold on the idea. It was everything I'd ever wanted. A nice family scenario.

  
After they left, I stopped eating and talking. I didn't move. So Uncle Takeda called them back, and then it became clear that they were my encouragement to start a new life. They were my starting block. So Uncle Takeda allowed me to live with them, he sends them money to take care of me, and that's why they're my parents."

  
A crack of light lit the room from a gap in the curtains, and Kageyama could see Hinata's face clearly. He wore no expression. His face was blank, eyes dark, and there was no trace of the happy Hinata who brought spirit with him wherever he went. Wordlessly, Kageyama pulled Hinata closer to him, his arms wrapping themselves around Hinata's shoulders. Hinata's fingers clutched at the hem of Kageyama's shirt, awkwardly brushing against the waistband of Kageyama's boxers.

  
"Hinata, you didn't have to tell me that."

  
"I wanted to." The crack in Hinata's voice made Kageyama's chest hurt.

  
"Did you really?"

  
"Of course." Hinata sat back and fixed Kageyama with a glare, eyes shiny with tears. "I might have only known you for a week, but there's something about you that makes me want to trust you."

  
"What is it?"

  
"I...don't know. I've just never been good at trusting people, but you're just so blunt. If I did anything wrong, you would tell me, and that's a relief. I didn't know what I did wrong to make my father hit me. So if I have someone that helps me fix my faults, nothing bad will happen to me ever again." Hinata's smile was strained.

  
Kageyama grabbed Hinata's shoulders and shook them furiously. "Idiot!" he hissed. "Don't _ever_ think that you did something wrong to make someone hit you. If someone ever lays a _finger_ on you, then they're the one that did something wrong. Nobody ever deserves to be hurt. You did nothing wrong, and you could _never_ do anything wrong!"

  
Kageyama had never really had a use for emotions before, but now, choking back tears and blinking to keep back the sting, he'd realised that up until then, he had met nobody worth showing his true feelings to.

  
Hinata's mouth was pressed against Kageyama's neck as he sat across his legs, tears falling. Kageyama's hands rubbed his back comfortingly, trying to make Hinata's breaths even.

  
"I-I'm sorry."

  
"Why?" Kageyama pressed his nose into Hinata's shirt, inhaling his scent.

  
"I feel like I've just unloaded everything onto you. I'm so sorry."

  
Kageyama pulled out of the hug and bonked Hinata gently on the head. "Don't be sorry," he smiled genuinely, and Hinata's eyes widened. "I'm actually honoured that you chose to open up to me."

  
"Are we best friends now?"

  
Kageyama made a face like he was considering it. "Meh. Not really."

  
"Not really? Kageyama, you little shit!"

  
" _I'm_ the little shit? Are you sure about that?"

  
"Yes!"

  
" _Is your mirror broken_?"

  
" _No, but your brain is_!"

  
After a few more shoves and insults, Kageyama can feel his stream of thought slow down rapidly until his speech reaches a slow crawl. The sun rises slowly as they both fall back, Hinata still hanging onto Kageyama. The abandoned futon on the floor is forgotten in favour of Hinata's warm sheets and fluffy pillow, and as the clock ticks five in the morning, the treasurer and the tsundere sleep.


	6. want me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kageyama wakes up in the Daisuga household, Nishinoya begins to think, Asahi sweats, and Tanaka laughs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know it's been more than a year but i never really forgot this story. a lot happens in a year, you know? i'm worried that i don't write the same, but that's to be expected. college literature classes really change you. i'm sorry if my writing isn't as good as it was before. if you hate it, just tell me. i really wanted to come back all this time, but i've never had the opportunity. just know that now i'm back, and if you're still willing to stay with me, please read on. i love all of you and i swear i never forgot you.
> 
> currently playing: If U Want - SISTAR
> 
> hope you like this!

Fingertips dug into Kageyama’s shoulder, pressing hard, leaving small trails of warmth. The light, comfortable pressure on his waist stirred him into consciousness, his body reacting. Bubblegum pink and purple clouds floated around his head, pulling him even deeper into the world of his dreams. Yachi and Hinata were flying with pastel-shaded umbrellas, and Kageyama reached his hands out to grab them, picking them out of the sky like fairies.

Instead, he got hold of a cloud. Smiling through the milky curtain of his sleep, Kageyama pulled on the cottony cloud, revelling in how bouncy and soft it was.

“ _Ow_. Kageyama, that really hurts. Please let go of my hair. I don’t want a receding hairline.”

“Come here, fairy. I promise I’ll love you forever. Take me wherever you’re going.” Kageyama murmured.

“Kageyama, you believe in fairies? That’s so cute! I think that they exist, too – _ow ow ow ow_ , Kageyama you let go of me right this _fucking_ minute before I shove my fucking foot up your ass you fucking _burrito bitch_ -“ Hinata suddenly switched into thug-shota mode as his friend’s grip tightened.

“H-Hinata?” Kageyama’s dark blue eyes opened and focused on a halo of orange hair, a blinding smile, and a white shirt. “Are you an angel?”

Hinata blinked, surprised, and let a little more of his weight fall onto Tobio. His arms slackened and fell to his sides as he saw Kageyama’s eyes light up on seeing him. Adoration and pure wonder swirled around in vortexes, and Hinata’s breath caught in his throat.

Smiling and shaking his head, Hinata reached out to brush Kageyama’s cheek with a hand. “Yes, Kageyama.  I’ll be your angel if that’s what you want me to be. I’ll be whatever you want.”

He couldn’t help but think that Kageyama was beautiful in this way. Half-asleep and with that adorable expression on his face, Kageyama was something to be admired. Hinata let his eyes trail over his lightly chapped lips, messy hair and creased shirt. Kageyama probably wouldn’t remember any of this.

Sucking in a deep breath, Hinata felt every corner of his body become filled with glitter and dust. “Kageyama,” he began, fingers gently touching along that sunkissed neck. “I hope you don’t think I’m crazy or anything, but I think I might like you. Like how my mom and dad love each other. That look they share when they’re proud of me, you know that look? I want us to look at each other like that someday. Is that love? Because if it is, then I think I might love you.”

Kageyama’s eyelids fluttered, lashes drawing patterns against his skin. Hinata sighed. “Why is confessing so hard?”

There was a knock on Hinata’s bedroom door, knuckles bumping the wood softly. In a split second, Hinata swung his weight off of Kageyama’s body, jumped off of the bed and called, “Come in!”

As soon as the door opened, Koushi’s smiling face appeared. He was wearing a pink apron and had a daisy from the garden tucked behind his left ear. His smile was as genuine and welcoming as always, fitting perfectly on that beautiful face.

“Shouyou, breakfast is ready. Get Kageyama up, too. Today we’re going to go clothes shopping with the rest of the team, remember?”

Hinata nodded, stomach still churning with the post-confession butterflies. “Coming, mommy.”

Koushi fixed Hinata with a gentle look, and then came forward to kiss Hinata’s forehead. “Baby,” he muttered, brushing some orange curls away, “if you ever want to confess to someone in the future, make sure they’re awake first. Just some minor advice, but they’ve actually got to be awake to hear how much you love them.”

Hinata blushed intensely and lurched forward to grab his mother’s shoulders, fists grabbing the fabric of his shirt. “Mommy,” he whined. “You’re embarrassing me!”

Koushi snickered childishly and kissed Hinata’s cheek. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you, my little buttercup! I’m proud that you’re getting older and finding out more about yourself. Your dad and I will always love you, no matter what you do. Unless you cancel our TV recordings. Then I’ll get you.”

Hinata held Koushi close and poked his nose into his neck, inhaling the scent of fabric softener and powder. “What’s for breakfast?”

Koushi’s fingers ran through Hinata’s tangled curls and laughed. “Of course you’d ask about food in a sweet moment like this. It’s fried eggs, bacon and waffles. Your dad is already eating; go on ahead if you want. I’ll wake Kageyama up.”

Hinata immediately jolted out of his mother’s arms and ran out to the kitchen, leaving Koushi and Kageyama alone in the room.

Kageyama was still sleeping soundly in Hinata’s bed, the covers pulled up to his chest. His deep breaths caused the covers to rise and fall, the morning light bringing out the brown tint to his hair. Koushi laid a hand on Kageyama’s shoulder and patted him lightly.

“Kageyama, wake up! Breakfast is on the table already. You wouldn’t want it to get cold.”

Kageyama’s eyes half opened and he let out a shallow breath. “Nhhhhgnnngggh…”

Koushi continued to shake him, whispering encouragements, only to have Kageyama shut his eyes again. Frustrated, Koushi slapped Kageyama five times in quick succession and then yanked his ear really hard. “Kageyama, you up?” Koushi asked sweetly, pretending that he hadn’t just assaulted his son’s crush. “So you have the nerve to give my baby lovesickness but you won’t eat my beautiful cooking?”

“Huh?” Kageyama yawned, and blinked slowly. Koushi, who had been perching on the side of Hinata’s bed, smiled innocently. “Morning, Kageyama!” he smiled. “Come through into the kitchen, Daichi and Shouyou are surely already eating by now.” With that, Koushi ran out of the room, a somewhat guilty expression on his face.

After Koushi left, Kageyama noticed that his right cheek was stinging. Touching the skin tenderly, Kageyama hissed. “I have a rash.” He concluded.

 

* * *

 

Breakfast time with the Daisuga family was interesting. They never seemed to run out of things to talk about, and there was no shortage of happiness. It was as if just like the pots of butter, jam and honey, there was a bottomless pot of happiness. Once you had a helping, you would never stop wanting more.

Koushi placed some food in front of Kageyama. Two waffles, two fried eggs, four bacon strips and a slice of toast spread with honey. Everyone had similar generous portions, and they were all munching happily. Hinata had jam spread across his cheeks, and Koushi wiped it off with a fond expression touching his features. Daichi kissed Koushi’s neck subtly, whispering a quiet “I love you” into his ear. Kageyama pretended he hadn’t seen and ate his breakfast dutifully, expressing his thanks towards Koushi.

“Need to buy anything, Kageyama?” Daichi asked him as he stuck some egg into his mouth.

Kageyama shook his head. “No, I don’t need anything.”

Daichi nodded in understanding. “That’s fine, but you should definitely still come with everyone! Shopping for clothes is always fun. Don’t even get me started on Nishinoya at the makeup counter last time, though. I nearly cried.”

Koushi shuddered, dropping his waffle. “Oh my God, no. Don’t even, Daichi. I had to beg the security guard to let him go.”

Hinata laughed, happily spreading even more jam onto his toast. “That was the best. He looked like a mime.”

Kageyama tilted his head in confusion. “What happened?”

Daichi looked traumatised. “We went to the makeup counter for ten minutes to get Kiyoko’s birthday present. Koushi had the lipstick shade picked out and everything. But Nishinoya decides to try out all the testers and run around the store scaring children, and it was such a nightmare. I let out a few manly tears.”

“He put on the whitest foundation shade ever, and then so much mascara his lashes were practically at his hairline. Tanaka got the brightest red lipstick and got more around his mouth than on it. The blusher was just in two huge dots on his cheeks, and someone had the great idea of winged eyeliner. Which was on fleek, actually.”

“The wings were so sharp.” Hinata closed his eyes and nodded.

“Ennoshita has always had a careful hand,” Daichi exclaimed thoughtfully.

Kageyama watched the exchange with a swirling tornado of golden glitter in his lungs. Just watching the family swap happy memories was enough to make him want to join. He couldn’t wait to become a fully-fledged member of their group.That was what he wanted.

_I don't want to be alone anymore._

As if he could hear his friend’s thoughts, Hinata’s hand suddenly came to rest on Kageyama’s arm. Kageyama felt the soft fingertips squeezing his skin and smiled with anticipation. Today would be a good day, as long as he was with the crazy Karasuno student council.

 

* * *

 

Nishinoya had arrived first at the arranged meeting point. He sat on the bench, feeling the hot sun on the back of his neck. The secluded side road was peaceful and silent. The buzz of cars a few roads down provided comfortable background music. A young couple walked past him, hands in each other’s back pockets as they laughed.

 _Feeling butts. How romantic_ , Nishinoya thought. He had come to the meeting point a whole hour earlier than he should have, because there was nothing for him at home. Nothing but emptiness and disappointment. Sleep was a miracle nowadays – Nishinoya hardly ever slept, but the student council expected energy from him, so that was what he would give them.

He had been disappointed so many times in his life. He couldn’t disappoint others.

Lying down on the bench, Nishinoya watched the sky. Clouds slowly crawled along the great expanse of blue, planes making their way to their destinations overhead. Contrails created crossed over each other, like friends who suddenly meet on a busy street after ten years, and left Nishinoya sighing. What was his destination? _With a life like this, where am I going?_

The truth was, it was exhausting pretending to be happy all the time. Nishinoya had plenty to worry about. He was working three jobs, and still managing to stay on top of his school work. Nishinoya could handle it all. Working this much was nothing, and he knew it would pay off in the future. All he had was himself, and he couldn’t go to anyone for help.

“I wish I was like you,” Nishinoya sighed, fingers tracing the outline of a plane as it flew overhead. “Where are you going? Why can’t I go with you? I wonder how many people you see, and how many places you go to. All I’ve ever known is work. I want to know more.”

“Are you saying that you don’t know me?”

Shocked, Nishinoya instantly snapped out of his reverie. He quickly sat up straight and tried to calm down his racing heart. “I didn’t say that. Uh, good morning, Asahi.”

Asahi stood there awkwardly, noticing the bags under Nishinoya’s eyes and the badly hidden fatigue. Nobody else had noticed that Nishinoya seemed to be tired to the very depths of his soul, however Asahi had.

Nishinoya moved his backpack off of the bench and gestured for Asahi to sit down with a bright smile. “Hey, bud,” he grinned, clapping his friend on the shoulder. “Good to see your face first thing this fine morning. What a nice way to start a Saturday. You look handsome as usual.”

While Nishinoya’s diversion tactics were expert-level, Asahi was having none of it. Tentatively, he began. “Noya,” he got out, “Are you okay? Is everything okay?”

Caught by surprise, Nishinoya fell back slightly, his dizziness combining with shock. His body had developed a slight tremor, and Asahi sadly watched his friend’s fingers twitch anxiously. “I- I’m fine,” Nishinoya ground out, clenching his teeth. “Thank you for checking on me, Asahi, but I’m fine. How are you?”

“Great,” Asahi knew Nishinoya was just trying to change the subject, but he went along with it. Nishinoya genuinely looked like he was about to collapse at any minute, so it was best to lay off. “Are you hungry? I accidentally brought too much food again.”

Without waiting for an answer, Asahi dumped chocolate-chip cookies and a small strawberry cake onto Nishinoya’s lap. Without replying, Nishinoya smiled and began to eat, the food bridging the gap between him and other people.

_Maybe people really do want to help me._

He and Asahi watched planes for another twenty minutes, talking about where they wanted to go the most in the world. Nishinoya wanted to go to South Korea, but Asahi wanted to go to England. They laughed over their dreams and Nishinoya no longer felt the weight of his worries pulling him down. He felt like he was flying, high in the sky with his planes.

“Whoa, get you early birds. And I thought I was early!”

Nishinoya and Asahi snapped out of their reveries to see Tanaka running up to them, backpack slung over his shoulder. He was wearing tight dark blue jeans, black converse shoes, a black tank top and a camo jacket. Nishinoya whistled. “Dang! Ryu, you look hot!”

Tanaka blushed like a kawaii anime girl and gently fanned his scarlet cheeks. “Your words bring great happiness to me, partner. But just take a look at you. Chick. Magnet.”

Asahi let his eyes comb over Nishinoya’s outfit. A tight white t-shirt, cropped black jeans and a grey cardigan with white sports shoes. Nishinoya did look good. Suddenly, Asahi felt fashion-conscious in front of the fashionista duo. He wore a starched white shirt, navy sweatshirt, chinos and navy loafers. He really did dress like a grandpa.

“Um…I’ll dress cool next time…” Asahi said weakly.

Nishinoya just flung himself at Asahi, wrapping his arms around his neck. “Don’t worry, Asahi! I think you’re dressed your age.  Just pick up those girls that want sugar daddies, okay?”

Tanaka laughed like a hyena. “The more wrinkles, the merrier.”

 _Koushi, Daichi, Hinata, Kageyama! Where are you?_ Asahi pleaded via mind-connection. _I don’t know how much more of this I can take._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment, i need to know how you guys feel about my return! has my writing style changed? did you like this chapter? what was your favourite part? any songs to recommend me, kpop or jpop? just say something!
> 
> tumblr: nekomajousai, so message me there too! we can talk.


	7. good for you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "When you feel tired and blue  
> No, even when you don’t feel that way  
> Call me, I’ll go right next to you"
> 
> \- Eric Nam, "Good For You"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realise that this is very late and I am super sorry, but things just keep on going wrong! Let me just say that the first confession I've ever made in my life was rejected, and it really is a terrible feeling. I've been a bit sad, but the guy wasn't that great anyway, so I'm pretending it didn't happen and that gave me the strength to work on this chapter. Hope you like it!

The rest of the gang quickly assembled. Daichi, Koushi and Hinata arrived twenty minutes after Tanaka, with Kageyama following twenty minutes later after stopping off at his house and changing. They caught a bus to the station, filling the air with cheerful insults and happy chatter. The hot breeze slipped in ribbons through the open windows, and Kageyama felt incredibly satisfied. He sat with Hinata, who was leaning his head on his shoulder and telling him all about GOT7’s latest album.

“I wanted to lick his abs, Kageyama. I wanted Jackson to take me from behind…”

Kageyama couldn’t hear a word that Hinata was saying. Judging by the beautiful shapes that his lips were making, he was probably talking about birds or art or something like that. The scent of Hinata, combined with his warm skin, enchanting gaze and carefully chosen words warmed Kageyama to his very core. Only the most beautiful words could ever come out of Hinata’s pretty mouth.

“I’m gonna fuck my album so hard when it arrives, I’ll be able to hear Fly through my fucking bellybutton…”

Ah, there he went again. Kageyama had no idea how this whole love thing was meant to go, but if he was going off of what he’d learned from manga, then wasn’t this pretty close to love? Just taking special notice of that person and hanging on to every single word they uttered. He couldn’t love Hinata, though. Not because they were both men, but because he had to find a wife. If he didn’t find a wife, he couldn’t inherit his family fortune and his dick of a cousin would happily roll in that cash.

“Kageyama?” Hinata placed a hand on his cheek. “Were you listening to me?”

Kageyama smiled and looked into Hinata’s glowing eyes. “Yeah. You were talking about waterlilies and dragonflies and the smell of summer flowers, and soda fizzing on your tongue, and that one special feeling when you’re listening to a song and your friend looks at you and smiles. I remember well.”

Hinata’s mouth fell open. Kageyama honestly looked dazed, with a soft smile and rose-dusted cheeks. He had been talking about being sexually involved with a KPOP album, but Kageyama’s mind was clearly somewhere else. Just by looking at Kageyama’s lovey-dovey facial expression, Hinata concluded that it must have something to do with Yachi and huffed, turning around in his seat.

“Next stop, Kageyama, okay?” Tanaka yelled, attracting the stares of several people on the bus. Everyone had begun to stand up, clustering near the door. Asahi’s head nearly touched the roof of the bus, and he looked terribly apologetic about his height. Nishinoya smiled at his gigantic friend and grabbed his hand, ready to pull him off when the bus stopped.

Koushi and Daichi got off first when the bus screeched to a halt, everyone following the power couple. Luckily the bus stopped right outside the train station, so the walk to the platform was short. Hinata was avoiding Kageyama, and Kageyama could tell. So he hung around waiting with Asahi, who continuously offered him snacks. By the time the train arrived, Kageyama swore his jeans button was ready to pop off.

Koushi promised Kageyama that the train journey to the shopping mall would only be ten minutes, so Kageyama happily sat down with Tanaka at his left and Nishinoya on his right. They were talking about what they needed to buy, and Kageyama happily listened to the conversation. It was always something fun with these guys.

“I need some new shirts,” Asahi said thoughtfully.

“You need a whole new wardrobe,” Tanaka chipped in.

“I like you just the way you are, Asahi,” Koushi smiled.

Daichi laid a hand on Koushi’s thigh. “What Koushi said.”

Hinata nodded enthusiastically at Asahi. “I love the Santa Claus look. I guess Christmas ain’t dead.”

Asahi whimpered and turned to Kageyama. “Kageyama. Please help me?”

With all of the eyes on him, Kageyama couldn’t focus. “Um…you look good. I like my men like I like my antiques. Old and valuable.”

It was silent for a few minutes, and then everyone began to laugh. Kageyama relished in Tanaka and Nishinoya’s friendly punches, and allowed a few laughs to break past his lips. “Sorry, Asahi!” He cracked up.

“Fuck you all.” Asahi muttered as he slipped down in his seat.

 

* * *

 

 As soon as they arrived at the shopping mall, they set a meeting spot by the central fountain and split up. Koushi and Daichi went off together to the coffee place for a drink and snack. Asahi, Tanaka, Hinata, Nishinoya and Kageyama went to a huge clothing store for a look around. Asahi selected a few t-shirts that he liked the look of and checked them off with the others.

“I like the star design. It reflects the fragility of your personality,” Tanaka supplied helpfully.

Kageyama found himself thinking of Yachi as he and Nishinoya looked around. He saw pretty shirts with pink bows and pleated tennis skirts. Those would look good on Yachi, he thought. Yachi with her rosy cheeks and flawless complexion. She wouldn’t be bad to marry, right? He might be finding himself attracted to Hinata as of late, but he couldn’t marry Hinata unless he wanted to forget about his family fortune.

And who would want to forget those millions?

“Hinata, you should get this one!” Nishinoya suddenly shouted, holding up a pale blue dress with a faint cloud pattern. “I feel like this is your thing!”

Hinata bounded over and plucked the dress from Nishinoya’s hands. “I’ll try it on,” he laughed, draping it over his other arm. “Dresses and skirts are cute, why not? It’s not like I’m going to buy it anyway.”

“B-but you’re a _guy_ ,” Kageyama blurted out. “You can’t wear those!”

Nishinoya and Hinata blinked at Kageyama, confused. “Why can’t guys wear dresses?” Nishinoya asked.

Kageyama found that he didn’t really have an answer, so he just shrugged. “Do your thing.”

Kageyama himself selected a few shirts to buy, nothing that he really needed. He never really wanted for anything, and had no need for a few extra shirts, but didn’t want to feel left out by not buying anything. Nishinoya hadn’t picked anything up, but looked longingly at the racks of shirts on display.

“Do you want to buy anything?” Kageyama gestured to the shirts.

Nishinoya shook his head, but his eyes said something different. “Nah, I’m good. I don’t really want anything. There’s nothing I’d like here anyway.”

Kageyama could tell very clearly that Nishinoya was pretending not to want anything, but he couldn’t help the way his eyes softened on looking at the clothes. Nishinoya liked clothes, Nishinoya wanted clothes, but there was some reason why he couldn’t get them. Kageyama followed Nishinoya’s line of sight and saw a colour-block shirt with a navy collar and white torso.

Suddenly, Kageyama had an idea.

“Aw, look at this shirt!” He smiled awkwardly, picking it up. “I really want one like this! It looks a little flowy, though, so I’ll get it three sizes smaller. Or maybe four.” Kageyama looked slyly at Nishinoya’s body before nodding to himself. “Definitely four. I feel like a lil’ bitch today.”

Nishinoya had been watching the whole thing silently, biting his lip and avoiding eye contact with Kageyama. “Okay, let’s go buy it for you, then.”

The pair made their way over to the tills and Kageyama bought his shirts and Nishinoya’s, requesting a separate bag for Nishinoya’s shirt. As soon as the cashier put the shirt into the bag, Kageyama suddenly made an over-exaggerated sound of exaggeration. “Damn! I think that shirt might be too small for me. Here, you take it.”

The bag was slammed into Nishinoya’s chest, who grabbed it gratefully and held it as if it were made of mist. His careful fingertips cradled the bag, stroking the plastic happily. Kageyama took his bags from the cashier, thanked them and made his way back to Hinata, Tanaka and Asahi, Nishinoya following behind.

“Kageyama.”

Nishinoya’s usual loud, cheerful voice had been reduced to a small whisper.

“Nishinoya?”

A small hand grabbed the hem of Kageyama’s shirt. “Thank you.” A purse of lips and a huff of air.

Kageyama placed his hand over Nishinoya’s and smiled.

“What are friends for?”

 

* * *

 

 

Tanaka, Asahi and Hinata were in the changing rooms. Hinata was trying on a velvet crop top obviously from the girl’s section, his toned abdomen contrasting oddly with the bright pink fuzz. Asahi was wearing a flowy floral maxi skirt, twirling around as his “zucchini felt the summer breeze”, as he so elegantly put it.

And then there was Hinata. He was wearing the cloud-patterned dress, which came up rather high on his thighs. The sky blue fabric set off his pale skin tone, his extraordinarily bright hair and sunny smile fitting perfectly with the playful nature of the dress. Hinata spun around, the hem of the dress brushing milky-white thighs, and Kageyama saw a flash of pink underwear.

“Aw, Hinata! You look so darn cute! Koushi and Daichi must be proud.” Tanaka squealed.

“Mommy says I’m his angel,” Hinata smiled bashfully, blushing hard. “These are clouds. Don’t angels live in clouds?”

“Man, that was so cute I’m going to cry maple syrup. Fuck. And I’m not even Canadian.” Nishinoya sobbed.

Kageyama felt something catch in his throat. “Hinata, you look…beautiful.”

Nishinoya looked at Kageyama, confusion in his eyes.

“Doesn’t he just, though?” Asahi agreed. “You should really buy that, Hinata. I’m going to buy this skirt. Seriously, I’m not wearing anything underneath this and it feels amazing. I envy girls.”

It was decided. Tanaka sadly put back the velvet crop top, and Asahi and Hinata went to the tills to buy their things. Nishinoya and Kageyama waited by the entrance to the store, and Kageyama noticed that Nishinoya had become slightly awkward while they were alone, refusing to meet Kageyama’s eyes.

The others returned, and after throwing a few ideas around they ended up stopping by the cosmetics store for a few things. Asahi picked up aftershave, shaving foam and some cologne. Nishinoya helped Hinata pick out some blusher, and Kageyama and Tanaka were looking at lipsticks.

“This shade is so you, Kageyama,” Tanaka said, holding up a pinkish-purple lipstick. “Seriously, it would set off your skin tone so well.”

Kageyama shrugged. “Why the fuck not.” He grabbed the lipstick and was ready to paint on a full bright mouth, but Tanaka shrieked. “No! You’ve got to let me do it!”

Nishinoya came over, throwing an arm around Tanaka. “Tanaka’s a sick makeup artist,” he explained. “When he was younger he would help his sister pick out makeup and clothes for her dates. He’s really good with that kind of thing.”

Asahi and Hinata also joined them. “Do me next, Tanaka,” Hinata begged.

Tanaka nodded with a flourish. “Of course, my babies. I will. But right now, it’s Kageyama’s turn.”

The staff of the cosmetics store had long since gotten used to the Karasuno boys stopping by, so they merely moved out of the way and got the cleaning products ready. Tanaka busily selected some testers to use on Kageyama while Nishinoya fixed a sheet around his neck to catch fallen powder.

Tanaka applied some primer to Kageyama’s skin, massaging it in with gentle fingers. “You’ll only need a little foundation,” he exclaimed happily. “Your skin is in great condition. I’ll just blend some onto a few select areas and you’ll be fine.”

Kageyama felt the cool liquid coat his skin, Tanaka’s tongue stuck out of his mouth in concentration. He then pulled out a thin, small brush and a pot of gel eyeliner and swiped quickly above Kageyama’s eyes. Mascara went on next, gentle curls and flicks of Tanaka’s wrist, until Kageyama could feel his lashes tickle his eyebrows. Pencil was used to fill in a few small gaps in his eyebrows and neaten the shape. The lip liner went on precisely, lipstick giving his mouth a pop of colour. Two dabs of powder blush went on Kageyama’s high cheekbones and a thin line of liquid highlighter, which was then blended carefully.

“And he’s done.”

Kageyama found himself looking at a magnificent boy. His eyes were wide, surrounded by thick lashes and thin, razor-sharp eyeliner. His mouth was a graceful pout, cheekbones glittering and shining, skin flawless, smooth and even.

The group clapped, the staff of the store coming forward to admire Tanaka’s skill.

“That boy is simply _beautiful_!”

“Look at the perfect application of his lipstick! Not a smudge!”

“Everything is the perfect shade for his skin.”

“How the fuck is his eyeliner so equal? I’m calling it. This is some Sailor Moon thing.”

Tanaka quickly made up the rest of his friends and bowed deeply when the manager of the store came forward to shake his hand. Looking flawless and sexy, the boys left the store and went to a restaurant, laughing over their growling stomachs.

“What’d the manager say, Tanaka?” Kageyama asked, scanning the menu. “Looked like he was congratulating you.”

“He was,” Tanaka beamed proudly. “This is the sixth time I’ve declined his offer to work at that store.”

Asahi shook his head, laughing. “Just take the damn job, Tanaka. You love doing makeup!”

“Exactly,” Tanaka sighed. “If I have to work for something, then it takes all of the fun out of it. I’d sooner do it, enjoy it and not get paid over working under pressure, hating it and getting paid.”

Kageyama supposed that made sense.

Hinata was sitting next to him, and when their food came, the two exchanged bites, although Hinata was still a tad huffy. Nishinoya, who was on Kageyama’s other side, awkwardly picked at his food. He had only ordered some cheesy bites and a soda, as he didn’t have money for anything more. Kageyama took notice of this and pushed his plate of fries closer to Nishinoya, who smiled and happily took a fry.

Hinata didn’t miss this exchange and chipped in to Tanaka and Asahi’s conversation to distract himself. He had been getting along excellently with Kageyama, and Kageyama was definitely starting to open up. But there was the obstacle that was Yachi, of course. It was bad that Hinata had competition anyway, but Yachi was pretty and kind and interesting, and Hinata didn’t know if he could win Kageyama’s heart with her there. And now, there was an unforeseen obstacle that Hinata had not seen coming for the life of him.

Did Nishinoya… _like_ Kageyama?

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me what you thought of this chapter! This chapter's song is "Good For You" by Eric Nam, which is kind of my jam right now. I hope this chapter was to your liking.
> 
> nekomajousai on tumblr if you want to holla or be my friend do both please i am lonel y


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